Miraculous Mascots
by little-miss-hug-and-kiss
Summary: AU: Adrien and Mari have been best friends through thick and thin, but Adrien's too shy to tell he wants more - too bad she's switching schools. In an incredible twist of fate, they both become school mascots - and Mari finds herself falling for a certain guy in a black cat suit. With Nino, Alya, Chloé, and company joining the mix, what could possibly wrong?
1. One: Boy Loves Girl

**Chapter One: Boy Loves Girl**

* * *

Adrien Agreste could sum up the worst thing that had happened to him and the best thing that had happened to him in a singular day, and not many people could say that.

The worst? Hands down after they lowered his mother into that hole in the ground and started piling dirt on top of it, sealing the earth between them. To say he had a tantrum was an understatement. There were tears and snot streaming down his face. His bloodshot eyes were wild and wide, and his fitted suit was rumpled from where his father's office security guard held him back roughly. He screamed and grunted and kicked, caring very little for the display he was making if it meant that he could break free and crawl down in that hole with his mother forever. The twelve-year-old hated the world in the four days since she had died. How could he take any more of it?

The best? After he was dragged back to the limousine and locked inside for the rest of the service, he heard a quiet voice asking to be let in because she was a friend. Then, Marinette Dupain-Cheng crawled in the seat, locking the door behind her. She crawled over to him in her poofy black dress and wordlessly hugged him to her chest, not caring that his snot was getting all over her velvety bodice. She did the only thing for him that she could think of, which was to sing the song his mother had every night of his life before bed except the last four. She could hardly realize that it was just what he needed to hear. He clung to her through the whole song, and at the end of it, he looked up at her and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he loved her as more than just his best friend.

* * *

Though Adrien had lived on his street his entire life, his story with Marinette began when she was five, and her parents moved to their neighborhood. After waiting the courteous day for their boxes to all disappear inside, Emma Agreste insisted on visiting the new arrivals with monkey bread and Adrien, who had been forced into non-muddy clothes for the venture.

Emma was embarrassed to discover that the Dupain-Chengs were, in fact, bakers, but they delighted in the gift and kept expressing how much they enjoyed it, insisting that Emma sit down with them at the dining room table so they could get to know each other.

It was there, standing shyly behind Emma's chair, that Adrien saw Marinette Dupain-Cheng for the first time. She came bursting into the dining room in a watermelon pink and white checked sundress and white leggings with a matching headband tucking back her short black hair. She was missing one of her front feet and both of her shoes, revealing her clumsily painted red toenails.

Seeing Emma, the broadest smile broke across her face as she promptly planted both hands on her hips, stuck her chin out, and said, "Hi, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I am going to do something unbelievable today."

Emma could hardly contain the little laugh that bubbled up in her throat. "Well, hello, Marinette. My name is Mrs. Agreste. And this is…" she said, gently scooting her resistant son around the chair. Leaning down, she whispered, "Introduce yourself."

He was sure his whole face went beet red as she turned her quizzical bright blue eyes on him. His gaze dropped to his feet as he muttered, "Adrien," very quietly.

"Marinette," her mother Sabine addressed her. "Why don't you show Adrien around the house? I'm sure he'd like to explore with you."

The girl nodded, looking at Adrien. "Follow me," she said, padding off without another word.

With another nudge from his mother, he set off reluctantly after the girl, who quickly wove through the house until she reached the living room, which was devoid of anything but unpacked boxes and a leather sectional sofa. She stopped, appraising the the beige-carpeted floor. He sulked silently in the corner, thinking she had forgotten he was there.

"Have you ever done a cartwheel?" she asked suddenly.

"H-huh?"

"A cartwheel," Marinette repeated patiently, her curious eyes on him again. "You know, where your whole body turns in a circle and you launch from your feet and-"

"I know what a cartwheel is!" he cut in, his brow furrowed. "I'm in gymnastics."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes going saucer-wide.

"Yes," he replied, shifting from foot to foot and glancing up and then quickly away from her.

"Can you show me?" she asked, a huge smile growing on her face.

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged, concentrating on the floor a moment before lurching forward. Hand, hand, foot, foot. He landed perfectly, extending his arms upward as his instructor had taught. He looked back at Marinette with a smirk.

"That was… _amazing_!" she squeaked, jumping up to him excitedly. He took a step back. "Can you show me how?"

"Um, maybe. Why?"

"Well, I said I wanted to do something unbelievable," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "And I think a cartwheel is a good place to start."

Which is how Adrien Agreste, the street's shyest kid, known for hardly speaking a word, became Marinette Dupain-Cheng's first gymnastics instructor. They practiced the whole afternoon as their parents sat in the kitchen talking. Adrien had to talk her down from initially starting with a cartwheel and down to a somersault, but after she had perfected that, they moved up the list. She had her bumps and falls, but she never stopped smiling.

There was something so incredibly optimistic about her, that even Adrien was smiling and laughing with her. Finally, nearly four hours later, Marinette took off. Hand, hand, foot, foot. She landed perfectly, extending her arms up. She looked quickly back at Adrien. "Well?"

"Perfect," he smiled, holding a hand up to high five her.

She giggled and shook her head, launching herself into his arms and squeezing tightly. "Thank you," she said. After a shocked second, he hugged back just as tight.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Marinette's father, Tom, rumbled from the doorway.

Adrien sprang away from Marinette to see his mother and her parents standing there, having apparently watched the last few minutes or so. Emma was positively beaming.

"Mom!" Marinette said, launching herself towards her. "Can I join gymnastics? Adrien's been teaching me, and it's _really_ cool!"

Sabine laughed. "Of course, darling," she said, glancing over at Emma. "I don't suppose you could give me the information on Adrien's gym?"

"I'd be delighted!" Emma grinned.

"Did you two have fun today?" Tom asked, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Marinette answered for them, nodding firmly and taking Adrien's hand. "He's my new best friend!" she announced.

When Marinette said something, she made it happen. That's why that day, whether he liked it or not, Adrien had a best friend. To be certain, though, he liked it.

From that day on, he didn't have to worry about introducing himself very much. Marinette was the one to do it. "Hi, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This is my best friend, Adrien Agreste, and we're going to do something unbelievable today."

* * *

After that, everything fell right into place. They were the next door neighbors who did everything together, and though Gabriel Agreste's work schedule hardly allowed him time to spend with the neighborhood, Marinette and Adrien spent every waking second together, often with Emma and/or the Dupain-Cheng's in tow.

Two years melted by as they started school in the same class. Marinette worked harder in Language Arts to join the advanced spelling list with Adrien, and he worked harder in Mathematics to be on the same timed test level with her. This was by no means unwelcome for their parents. Two afternoons during the school week and once on the weekend, they carpooled together to the local gym for gymnastics. Though Adrien was two levels ahead of Marinette, she worked hard to close the gap, and he refused to move on until she was caught up.

It was one of these days after practice and dinner that Marinette dashed into her yard, running to the fence between their homes and pulling the loose board she discovered ages ago aside as she shimmied into the Agrestes' yard just as Adrien burst from the back door, feet pounding the dry dirt as he charged for the climbing tree. Marinette leapt onto a second before he did and tore up it with all the dexterity of a squirrel until she reached their branch, panting in triumph.

"I win!" she beamed, breathing heavily as he joined her.

He stuck his tongue out, scowling and looking away.

"Isn't seven a bit old to be a sore loser?" she asked.

"Older than you," he muttered, crossing his arms, still looking away.

"Hey," she said, the excitement falling out of her voice. "Are you mad at me?"

He huffed. "No."

"Then what's wrong?"

Adrien was quiet for a moment. "Max called you Mari today."

"So?"

"So… I thought I was the only one who got to call you that."

"Lots of people call me Mari," she pointed out.

"Well, then lots of people are your best friend?" he asked, glowering at her.

Her face softened a bit as her mouth screwed up in a smile. "Nope. I just have you."

He was quiet, still angry.

"I know!" she said suddenly. "How about we come up with a secret handshake? That will just be for you and me?"

"So?"

"So, whenever you want to know if I'm still your best friend, you do the handshake, and if I do it back, that means yes. But only the two of us know it, and no one else in in the world."

"Okay," he said, turning to her. "What should it be?"

"Here," she said, sticking out her hand, which he took. She stuck her thumb in the place between their hands. It was barely perceptible visually, but he felt it.

He grinned. "And if I do it back," he said, sticking his thumb with hers, "it means I'm your best friend, too."

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on," Marinette muttered under her breath, her fingers flying furiously over the controls.

Adrien stuck his tongue out slightly, his brow furrowing as his fingers began to move even faster. "Almost, almost, almost," he echoed her.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the screen as his avatar exploded, and he sat back with a groan as Marinette cheered, running around the room with her control hooting. "I'm number one! I'm number one!"

"Aw, shut up, Mari," he grumbled, throwing his arms above him on the beanbag chair in her living room where they had cartwheeled all those years ago.

She suddenly appeared, standing above him so his face was mere inches from his own. "Isn't sixteen a little bit old to be a sore loser?"

His mouth would normally twist up at the familiar words, but he was a little too fixated on how close she was and how the air suddenly smelled like her lemon shampoo and how the light poured across her face, highlighting her freckles and making her blue eyes look slightly golden. He turned his face away as he felt his face get hot. "Older than you are," he growled in response.

She laughed, pulling him to his feet. "You haven't ever been able to beat me at SuperBots; I doubt the five month head start meant anything."

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at her. She had been taller for most of their life, but he'd shot up when they entered high school and now had a good four and a half inches on her, much to her annoyance. He was about to make a witty retort when the smell of Tom's delicious baking reached his nose again, and his stomach growled loudly.

Marinette laughed as he blushed even further. "I know what that means. Come on," she said, leading the way to the kitchen.

He followed hopelessly behind her like an eager puppy into the kitchen, where Tom was drawing a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. When he saw Adrien, he lovably rolled his eyes. "Should have known that bloodhound nose of yours would make you come running," he grumbled amicably. "Leave some for the rest of us, would you, Adrien?"

The boy nodded as Tom placed the cookie sheet on top of the stove. "Have you told him yet?" he asked his daughter.

Adrien, who had be drooling at the sight of the cookies, snapped to attention at these words. "Told me what?"

Marinette sighed, her eyes sliding over to the window, where outside it had decided to snow as a treat for their last day of break before the new semester started. "Not yet. I was just about to," she said, giving her father a pointed glance.

Tom held up his hands in surrender and left the two of them sitting at the kitchen island as Adrien turned to Marinette intently, concern wrinkling his face. "Tell me what?" he repeated.

She sighed. "I didn't know if it was the right time, but I guess since school starts tomorrow…"

A million thoughts raced through Adrien's head. Did she have a secret boyfriend? Was she quitting gymnastics? Was she engaged to her secret boyfriend? Did she have cancer? What if she was already _married_ to her secret boyfriend?!

"I'm not going to Françoise Dupont anymore."

Her words hung heavy in the air as Adrien blinked. She wasn't… going to their school anymore? The thought hadn't even occurred to him. He hadn't gone a day without seeing Mari since he was five… not even when one of them was sick or on vacation. Not even when his mother first went to the hospital.

"You're…?" he trailed off.

"I'm going to that prep school on the North side," she said. "The one with the plaid uniforms? Mom and Dad tried to enroll me at the beginning of the year, but there weren't any spots. Somebody dropped out, and I was the next on the list. It has really good academics, and they wanted me to go so…" her face scrunched up as her lower lip dropped. "I really wanted to tell you," she continued quickly as she scanned his astounded face. "But I didn't want to ruin Christmas or New Year's and then… I'm sorry," she finished in a whisper.

He wasn't able to say anything. Typical. In the five years since he realized that he was in love with her, he hadn't be able to muster the courage to tell her. Why would that start now?

"Adrien?" she asked, her hand snaking out to grab his. "Are you angry?"

Shoving the hurt deep inside of him, he managed to smile a bit. "No… never."

She smiled, placing her thumb in between their hands where they grasped each other. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he did the same.

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhhhhhh okay, so here's chapter one, and I'm trying something a little new and different for me but still the same lovable Miraculous AU. I'mma do my absolute best to update at least once a week. Please please please with the feedback to let me know if I'm going in the right direction. :3**


	2. Two: High School Sucks

**Chapter Two: High School Sucks**

* * *

Marinette gave a half-hearted little wave out the window at Adrien as her parents pulled away from the house, and he returned it with a half-smile. She sighed, placing her hand on her cheek and staring gloomily out the window as the white, snowy world of her street passed and they left it behind.

The green and blue wool skirt was just as itchy and uncomfortable as it looked, and her starched white dress shirt felt positively oppressive to move in, especially with floppy little matching tie constricted around her neck. She wiggled a finger under it, trying to get more room, when her mother's gaze met hers in the rearview mirror.

"Are you excited?" Sabine asked.

"I guess," she mumbled, squeezing her fingers around her notebooks tightly to resist the urge to scratch her shins under the equally uncomfortable knee length wool stockings.

"We know it isn't easy, honey," her father said. "But try and buck up, okay? So what if there isn't a gymnastics team? You're over at the gym every day with your instructors anyway. A team would just hold you back. And you'll see Adrien every day, too."

"Whatever you say," she said, gritting her teeth to resist a sigh.

* * *

By lunch, Marinette decided that switching high schools unexpectedly in the middle of the year was _exactly_ as bad as you'd expect.

It was beyond the clichéd "nobody will talk to me, but everybody is talking about me" new girl stuff. She was expecting that. It's just that everybody at the school seemed intent on making her an outsider. Like she was the negative pole of a magnet at school of electrons, everyone gave her a wide berth. Nobody made eye contact like Medusa-worth consequences would result if they did.

It all started with homeroom in the morning where the teacher had asked her to stand and say a few words about herself. Marinette was always okay with getting to know people. She immediately stood and filled in the important things: her name, gymnastics, and going to Françoise Dupont. That list should have included her best friend, Adrien, but the teacher cut her off at the twenty second mark, becoming disinterested in what Marinette had to say.

When Marinette turned to sit back down, she found chewed gum waiting for her in her seat and a few quiet snickers from her classmates surrounding her. Clenching her jaw, she turned back to the teacher.

"Is there a problem, Ms. Dupain-Cheng?"

Marinette swallowed. "No ma'am," she replied. "I just need a Kleenex."

With that, she walked to the front of the room, and grabbed a tissue. She returned to her seat, picked up the gum carefully then walked to the front of the room with her chin held high and dropped it carefully in the trash. The room was dead quiet.

She learned after that that people at this school seemed to have their own culture that they didn't want to be disturbed by any newcomer. She did her best to be kind to everyone around her, but even her lab partner refused to speak to her in Chemistry.

Seriously, did she have leprosy or something?

By lunchtime, she was done trying to get someone to talk to her and figured she wouldn't bother disturbing the cafeteria setting. She opted for an apple to soothe her growling stomach and found her way to the library.

It was the only place she had been so far that the silence didn't feel oppressive so she found her way to a secluded section and pulled off her shoes and those damnably itchy socks. She sat down and pulled a random book from the shelves, leafing through it and biting down into her apple.

She was about half of a chapter into a biography on Charles Perrault when she heard the distinctive tinny sound of music being played too loud through headphones. Turning around, she peered through the shelves to find a boy in glasses jamming out to a song only he could hear. His eyes opened beneath the brim of his red ballcap and met hers, and he froze. He picked up his phone and paused the music, taking off the headphones sheepishly.

"Uh, you won't, like, tell, right?" he asked. "This is the only place I can jam without the teachers finding out. They always take my tunes away when they catch me."

She gave him a little half smile, closing the book. "Are you kidding me? You're the first person who's talked to me all day. I'll hide a body if you need me to."

He laughed softly, standing and walking over to her aisle. He looked down at her barefeet and painted toenails with a raised eyebrow. "Are you fighting the power, too?"

"More like fighting itchy socks," she explained as he sat next to her.

"You're the new girl, right?"

She stuck out a hand. "Hi, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This is my, uh, I mean…" she caught herself, shaking her head. She couldn't remember the last time she met someone without Adrien. "I'm going to do something unbelievable today."

He laughed again, accepting her hand. "Well, alright. I'm Nino. It's nice to meet you."

As if on cue, her phone chimed. Marinette took it out of her pocket, smirking when she saw Adrien's dorky photo from the year he dressed as a pumpkin for Halloween popping up with a text. "Sorry, I have to get this," she explained, swiping her phone to unlock it.

 _Okay, it's officially been a half day. Ready to come home screaming?_

She laughed. _Still TBD._

"Boyfriend?" Nino guessed.

"Best friend," Marinette correct her. "Since we were five. We're neighbors, too."

"He must be taking your switching schools hard."

"Who, Adrien?" she laughed, glancing down as her phone chimed again. "I bet he doesn't even notice I'm gone."

 _Did you hear? Ivan was Plagg. He broke his leg though. He's out for the season._

 _Plagg… the mascot?_ she sent back.

 _Is there another?_

 _So that's the gossip that's supposed to draw me back to FD?_

 _The secret identity of the school mascot isn't enough?_

She laughed. _Better break out the big guns._

"You miss him," Nino guessed, watching her with a slight smile.

"Yeah," she answered, knocking her phone against her knee. "I've never gone to school without him. Plus, nobody here has been that welcoming."

"Ah, that," he said, removing his hat and running a hand through his short hair. "Yeah. People here don't really go out of their way to be welcome. It's the competitive academics and sports."

"So they already think I'm competition?"

"Are you?" he asked, laughing again.

"Most definitely," she grinned, ignoring her phone this time when it chimed. "So are you going to give me the grand tour?"

"What?" he asked, standing with her.

"I've decided that you're my friend. If I'm going to do something unbelievable, I'll need a few. But I do need to know my way around. What do you say?"

Color climbed into his cheeks. "I - yeah, sure. I mean, definitely!"

"Nino Lahiffe!" a voice thundered causing them both to look up at the angry, pinch-nosed librarian. "How many times have I told you _no music in my library!"_

"Gotta go!" he said quickly standing. "Rain check?"

"Definitely," she laughed as the librarian turned to her.

"And you!" she shrilled. "What are you doing without shoes?"

"Testing the carpet," she said cheerily, rubbing the floor. "It's very soft."

The librarian's scowl deepened. "Out. Out! _Out!_ "

Gathering her stuff, Marinette made a quick exit, unable to keep a smile off her face. _Talk to you later_ , she texted Adrien without reading his message. _Things just got a little better._

* * *

"That's _my_ seat."

Marinette looked up. Was she looking forward to fifth period Poetry? Not really. But Adrien loved poetry, and she knew he'd ask her questions about it. She sat in the last available spot by the window and was daydreaming when a shadow in the form of blond-ponytailed cheerleader crossed over her.

"What?"

"That's my _seat_ ," the girl said slowly, nodding her head like Marinette couldn't understand. She had on way too much blue eyeshadow that did not work with her red and black uniform.

"I didn't know they were assigned," Marinette said pleasantly, leaning her head in her hand to look up nonchalantly at the girl.

She smiled about as sweetly as a crocodile. "They're not. Unless you're a somebody like me."

"What a coincidence! Me too," Marinette said with a cheeky grin.

The boy next to her let out a laugh that he stopped immediately when the girl's icy grin bit into him. "Who are you anyway?"

"Hi," she said, extending a hand. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I'm-"

"Whatever. Marinette Dupain-Cheng? There's a few things you need to learn here. The first is that I'm Chloé Bourgeois, and the second is that you and I are on totally different _planets_. This is the last time I will speak to someone as lowly as you, so I would listen carefully," she said leaning over her. "I matter. I'm important, and people listen to me. With you? None of the above apply. So do yourself a favor, and melt back into insignificance because you do _not_ want me for an enemy."

"Bring it on," Marinette said, taking out her notebook and pen as the bell ran and the teacher entered.

" _Excuse_ me?"

"Bring it _on_ ," she said slowly, nodding. She gave her a little smile. "I'd sit down if I were you, sweetie. Class is starting."

"Uh!" Chloé gasped, her mouth open and her eyebrows shooting up as she stomped off and made another girl move.

Marinette sat back with a smile. So the day one total: one friend and one enemy. Wait until Adrien heard about this.


	3. Three: Unexpectedly Plagg

**Chapter Three: Unexpectedly Plagg**

* * *

"Come _on_!" Kim said angrily, slamming the orange ball down on Adrien's desk. "You're the only one who's ever been able to beat me one-on-one. Every year you get out of tryouts. I'm not taking it this year. You could make varsity easy, and between the two of us, the Black Cats would be undefeatable."

"I told you," Adrien replied calmly, taking his notebook and pen out of his backpack and looking glumly at the desk to his left where Marinette would usually sit. "I'm not interested. Besides, the season has already started"

"Max dropped with the new semester because he wanted to focus on science classes and the coach is having special tryouts. I don't want another shooting guard on my team," Kim replied, crossing his arms. He lowered his voice. "I know you don't like anything except intramural after your mom-"

"Look, Kim," Adrien said crossly as the bell rang. "I told you that I wasn't interested. So leave me alone, alright?"

"Dude-"

"Mr. Lê Chiến, I trust your break went well, but it is over now," Ms. Mendeleiev said in a very unamused voice at the front of the class. "Do take your seat so that I can start class."

Kim swiped his basketball off of Adrien's desk, glowering at the blond boy as he made his way to the back of the lab.

Not long after that, Adrien felt a tap on his shoulder. Not wanting to anger Ms. Mendeleiev, he only turned his head slightly and saw Alya Césaire leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "Hey, I may be able to give you a hand with Kim. You heard about Ivan right?"

"Yeah, who didn't?" he whispered back, automatically thinking of lunchtime texts to Marinette an hour ago and how she had just stopped messaging after her hasty goodbye. Did she meet someone?

"So Coach Haprèle is looking for a new Plagg. I know a bunch of people are going for it, but it will line up perfectly with the basketball season. It could get Kim off your back."

"Thanks for the tip, but I'm no mascot," he murmured back, quickly copying the notes on colloids as the teacher wrote them down.

"Hey, where's your lady?"

"My lady?" he asked, confused.

"Marinette."

His whole face flared red. "Oh, uh… she's not, I mean-"

"Mr. Agreste, did you have something to add?" Ms. Mendeleiev asked, looking at him pointedly.

"No!" he said quickly. "I mean, no."

"Then kindly refrain from conversation with Ms. Césaire."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded automatically as she turned back to the board.

"She switched schools," he mumbled back to Alya.

"Oh," Alya said simply. "That's a shame. Everything's a little bit gloomier without her."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh, facing forward again. "It is."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he said again, pushing through the door into the men's locker room before he could chicken out.

Inside, Coach Haprèle was taking down the sign-up sheet, shaking his head.

"Hey, Coach!" Adrien hailed him, raising a hand and adjusting his grip on his bag as he half jogged up to him.

"Agreste," the coach said, turning to look at him. "Look, I understand and respect why you don't play the game these days so if Lê Chiến is bothering you-"

"No, nothing like that. I mean, yeah," he backtracked. "But that's not why I'm here. I want to try out… for Plagg."

"Plagg?"

"Yeah."

"The mascot?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I heard the tryouts were open, and I've been doing gymnastics for over ten years. I just-"

"No, no, that's perfectly alright," he said with a smile. "The gym's empty now. You ready to give it a try?"

"Alright Agreste, we'll start with the simple stuff. Show me how you pump up a crowd."

"Pump up a crowd, sir?"

He nodded expectantly, crossing his arms at the front of the gym. "I can't teach you. It's one of those qualities people look for."

"Just… here, sir?"

"No time like the present. Don't be so bashful."

So, shrugging, Adrien loosened his shoulders up and then performed a tumbling pass down a half a length of the gym before jumping up and down and raising his hands up as if to incite a wave. He felt a little ridiculous doing, but Coach nodded, smiling. "Not bad. It gets better with suit, too."

"You sound like you speak from experience," he said, panting as he rejoined him.

"I do. I was Plagg all four years Françoise Dupont," Coach said fondly, sitting down. "Don't look so surprised," he added seeing Adrien's expression.

"Oh, I didn't-"

The coach cut him off with laugh. "Don't worry about it. That suit… well, it may sound cheesy, but it changes you. You have to want it though. It's a lot of work. So why do you want it?"

To keep Kim off his back for one, Adrien thought. It wouldn't be bad practice for gymnastics either. And maybe… maybe the distraction would help, too. "I think some change might do me some good. I figure that this is a good place to start."

"It's the best place," the coach corrected him. "Alright, Agreste. I make my decision at the end of the day. I'll let you know."

* * *

"Adrien, you know, you _can_ smile. It won't kill you," Alya said later as he arrived at his locker as she was closing hers next to his.

"I know that," he sighed, twisting the lock and opening it.

"This is about Marinette, right?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, yanking his locker open.

"Uh, how about the fact that you've been totally in love with the girl, like forever?" she asked, leaning against the lockers.

He closed his door slightly so he could give her an exasperated glance. She widened her eyes innocently.

"Oh, are we still pretending that that's not a thing?" she asked.

"I regret telling you that," he growled.

"You had to. Ninth grade truth-or-dare can be suckish, can't it?" she laughed.

"Just you wait," he said. "One day, you'll fall in love with someone, and then karma will bite you back."

"I'm looking forward to it," she said as he closed his locker door.

"Goodbye, Clark Kent," he mocked the school newspaper editor.

"Goodbye, Adrien."

One school day without Marinette down, so many more to go, he thought as the bell rang, signalling the end of the day.

He was about to leave when someone caught his shoulder. He turned to find Nathanael standing there. He didn't really like the guy since he asked Marinette to formal last year and kept Adrien from going with her.

"Coach wants to see you," he said, jerking his head toward the gym. "He said it was important."

Adrien's spirits lifted just a little bit as he thanked the redhead and jogged off towards the gym. When he reached the locker room and pushed the door open to find Coach sitting there with the Plagg costume, he smiled.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Agreste. We start practice tomorrow at 6:30."


	4. Four: Tikki for the Practice

**Chapter Four: Tikki for the Practice**

* * *

"What do you mean there isn't a gymnastics team? That was one of my reasons for wanting to transfer here," Marinette said to the secretary.

She frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry. It was cut this year. There just wasn't the money to maintain the equipment."

"Well… what if I use a local gym?" she asked. "I'm a part of one."

"Maybe," the woman responded. "If they'll let us use the equipment at a good rate. But you'll have to file the paperwork. It'll take some time to get through, and the program probably won't happen this year."

She deflated. Next year? That wouldn't work. "Thank you," she said anyway, walking out of the office and nearly right into Nino. "Oh, hey."

"Hey," he responded. "Where's that smile from earlier?"

She mustered up a grin for him.

"Close, but no cigar."

"I'm a gymnast," she explained. "Since I was five. It's a big part of my life. I wanted to join the team here-"

"Only the team was dissolved for this year," he finished.

"Not enough to maintain equipment," she sighed. "I can get the paperwork and deal done to get it made next year when we're seniors, but I need a workout outside of just practice."

"Well, have you thought about cheerleading?" he suggested.

"Um," she scoffed. "Sorry, did you lose a brain? Did you just say cheerleading?"

"Mock if you want, but our squad is competitive. I'm on the basketball team, I should know. Tumbling there should be a pretty good workout, even if it's not the same thing."

She sighed. "I suppose." Inside though, she winced thinking about her words earlier with Chloé. She really could get ahead of herself sometimes. She could almost hear Adrien laughing at her. "Are there even tryouts?"

"Actually, right now," he said. "There's a few spots open, and it's the start of free period. They'll be in the gym."

She felt suddenly a little nervous so she gnawed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you'll come along?"

"I won't be welcome there," he laughed. "And anyway, I have math tutoring during free period. Good luck though."

"Thanks," she said, turning and hoisting her bag up further on her shoulder and turning to walk towards the gym. "I'm going to need it," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

"Five, six, five, six, seven, eight," Chloé chanted, her blue eyes screwing up shrewdly as she surveyed the ten or fifteen girls in front of her going through the routine she just outlined with varying levels of clumsiness.

Marinette walked in, muttering under her breath all manner of encouragement to face the blonde and her red-headed compatriot, also in a red and black cheer uniform. Walking straight up to them, she stopped.

"What do you want?" Chloé asked, not taking her eyes off of the girls in front of her.

"I want to try out."

"Have you ever cheered?"

"Well, no, but I've been a gymnast for years."

"Sorry, I'm not looking for a gymnast."

Marinette took a deep breath, reminding herself not to go off on the girl. Observing the routine happening in front of her, she stepped in Chloé's line of sight and started mimicking the movements perfectly. She knew she was pulling it off from the look in the cheerleader's eyes. It wasn't angry… it was threatened.

And why not? She'd been tumbling for years, and she'd always had a sense of rhythm like a dancer. To boot, she was as stubborn as they come. If that mean girl could do it, so could she. She was sure of it.

"Stop it. Stop it!" Chloé snapped, causing the redhead at her side to stop the music and the girls.

She sauntered up to Marinette with malice twinkling in her eyes. "I never said you could try out."

"It's an open tryout. Anybody can."

"Oh, sweetie," Chloé said with her crocodile smile. "I don't care. I'm head cheerleader, and I make the final decisions. You're not joining this cheer squad as long as I'm here because you. Are. Nobody."

Each word hit Marinette like a bullet, causing her to step back.

Chloé smirked. "Didn't I tell you not to make an enemy of me? You have no idea what you brought down on yourself."

* * *

"Hey."

Marinette had left shortly after the humiliating display with Chloé to sit glumly in the corner of the gym and watch all of those girls that she could definitely beat run through the routine. The blond head cheerleader systematically criticized all of their performances in a way that left each one in tears, running away. She finally settled on a short, blond-haired girl who looked all too thrilled to be named a cheerleader.

"Hey!" the voice insisted a little louder.

"What?" she snapped, looking up.

The girl who had addressed her had vibrant amber eyes that nearly popped out of her head as she took a few steps back. She nervously pushed her purple-highlighted dark hair behind her ear. "You need to go to Ms. Bustier."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. She's not just the English teacher; she's the cheerleading coach, too. She may be able to help," the girl said quickly, glancing around to be sure that they weren't being overheard.

"Oh, uh… thanks," Marinette said, scrambling up. "But I'm pretty sure Chloé would go bald before she let me on. I don't know how much the coach will help."

"Well… there's always more than one way to stake a vampire, right?"

"Uhhh… not really, no. There's pretty much the one way."

"Oh. Well, there is something beyond being a cheerleader that could still help," she said, nodding enthusiastically. "Just trust me."

"Okay," Marinette said finally, smiling at the girl. "Lead the way… uh, what was your name?"

"Juleka," she answered, starting to walk.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you helping me?"

"You're strange, and that bugs Chloé. Those are two things that I like."

* * *

"I would love to help you. Really, I would," the redhead said, sighing as she leaned forward at her desk. "Chloé's father is the head of the school board. I go against her on something big, and she goes to him. It could put my job in jeopardy."

Marinette felt her face flush red. "She can't just have a monopoly on this entire school!"

"I'm afraid so," Ms. Bustier replied. "But there is something I can do."

"Yeah?"

"You said that you were a gymnast, right?"

"Yes."

"How do you feel about having a big head?"

* * *

"Awesome," Juleka breathed, smiling at Marinette.

"You're kidding, right?" her muffled voice replied, adjusting the stiff, anime-like ladybug head so she could see out of it. Things were fuzzy trying to peer through the mesh at the other girl and Ms. Bustier.

"I'm glad it's a fit. I was worried," Ms. Bustier said. "Part of the fun of mascoting is that we keep your identity secret so try not to disclose it, alright?"

"Oh, trust me," she grumbled, testing her range of motion. "I will _not_ be advertising this."

"There's just one other person who does need to know who you are though," Ms. Bustier grimaced. "She does coordinate all of the practices and routines."

Marinette felt her fists clench. "You don't mean…"

"Sorry, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. You're about to spend quite a bit of time with Chloé Bourgeois."

* * *

 **A/N: *excited pterodactyl noises* okay so yes, that's all for now and this week and I hope I'm not crazy and that you liked it also thanks. :3**


	5. Five: Let's Go Home

**Chapter Five: Let's Go Home**

* * *

Adrien pushed the volume up a notch on his phone as he waited for the crosswalk to turn, sending music spilling through his earbuds. He tapped the side of his messenger bag, glancing at the people around him. He didn't think that the walk home was going to be this boring without Marinette.

With the time it took to sign a confidentiality agreement (yeah, seriously, he couldn't tell anyone he was a _mascot_ ), it was nearing three o'clock, but foot traffic was heavier because of the local festival happening. As he crossed the street, Adrien had to weave through the oncoming pedestrians which is how he caught sight of Marinette in the first place.

She was about half a block ahead, walking slowly and looking distracted. His heart sped up as a smile involuntarily grew across his face. "Mari!"

She didn't even notice, still walking on so he squeezed between two large ladies walking their tiny dogs with an 'excuse me!' and ran to catch up with her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, panting a little. Startled, she turned, and a familiar smile relaxed on her face. "Adrien, hey."

"Geez, can't ya slow down a little?" he fake-complained.

"Sorry," she said, pushing her bag further up her shoulder and slowing down slightly.

His smile fell a bit. "Bad first day?"

"An interesting one," she corrected him with a glance. "And it was certainly long."

"Did you make any friends?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Marinette made friends with everyone. From kids on the street to stores clerks to the old men who played chess in the park, there didn't seem to be anyone immune to her charms… least of all him.

"A couple," she said, a faint smile growing on her lips.

"Just girls?" he couldn't resist asking. "Or…?"

She laughed, glaring at him playfully. "My, you're nosy today. One is a boy - Nino."

"Ah," he said, swallowing quickly. "So he's…?"

"Nice," she finished for him as the walked around a dog tied to a tree outside of a store that was curiously sniffing at Adrien. "Also one of the only people that actually talked to me."

He scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"No, really!" she insisted. "I thought they laced my uniform with some sort of repellent that was driving people away. It's _such_ a weird school."

"So come back," he said. Though it sounded like he was teasing, he could a feel the strain of yearning in his voice. He wanted her to come back just about more than anything.

"Come on now," she laughed. "It's too soon to give up. Like any good explorer, I'm braving unknown lands and attempting to assimilate with the natives so I can understand their culture."

"It's high school; I don't know what culture you're trying to find."

That earned him her famous giggle-snort, his favorite of all of her laughs that started all cute and tinkly and ended with a loud snort that would make you jump if it caught you off guard. "I missed you," she said at the end of it, catching him off guard.

"Oh, uh… I-"

"I mean, what's a girl supposed to do without her best friend?" she continued, hopping nimbly onto the street curb and walking along as though it was a balance beam.

"You mean sidekick?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, come on," she shot back. "We're partners in crime. Would you separate Abbott and Costello? Peanut butter and jelly? Pineapple and pizza?"

"Hate to break it to you, Mari, but you're the only person in the country who likes those last two things together."

"It's sweet and savory; it's a great combination!" she argued.

He smiled, liking her insinuation that they went well together. "You weirdo."

"I didn't know I was going to run into you," she admitted. "I figured out that my walk is the route back home, but I thought you'd be way ahead of me."

"Oh, yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his head as his mind raced to find an excuse. "I joined a new club."

"Which one?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.

"Uh… fencing."

"Fencing?"

"Yep," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking out ahead of her.

She easily caught up. "You don't fence."

"I do now."

"Have you ever even held a sword?"

"It's called a foil," he corrected her as they turned onto their street.

"So… not basketball?" she asked hesitantly.

He glanced over his shoulder for a moment but kept walking. "No."

"Adrien-"

"Don't tell me you're going to get on me like Kim."

"Kim? What's that clown saying now? No, I just mean-"

"I'm gonna go," he said, stopping awkwardly in front of his house. He didn't look at her. "I'll see you later, okay, Mari?"

* * *

The house was quiet and empty. Well, it was the afternoon after all, but as he slung his bag on the coat rack, Adrien sighed. This house hadn't been the same since… well, yeah. It didn't help that his father had slowly and systematically erased every trace of her from the house.

Her cheery red and white checked tablecloth had been one of the first things to go, but as he glanced at the grey walls of the kitchen that were once yellow, he remembered that it hadn't been the last. He pulled off his coat and hung it up, walking upstairs.

He didn't pass any family pictures anymore along the staircase, only artistic black and white pictures. Adrien wasn't quite sure why his father even had them put up. He was hardly in the house these days so most of the time it was Adrien and his thoughts.

He paused by his mother's studio on the way up; it was the only room in the house that laid undisturbed from his father's interference - not that either of them had entered it since she… anyway, the maid must have left it open because it stood ajar.

For a second, he felt a strong urge to enter the room, but going into his mother's studio when his mother was… when she was dead… that felt like really admitting it. So he pulled the door closed. As long as it was like that, she could still be just inside, working on something and waiting for him to come home from school.

* * *

Adrien finished his homework finally, lingering over the last calculus problem before putting his pencil down and listening to the slow ticking of the wall clock. Night came earlier in the winter so even at seven o'clock, everything was dark.

If Gabriel Agreste came home at all that evening, it wouldn't be until after Adrien was to bed. Years ago, that may have thrilled him to have the house all to himself, but now the whole thing just felt giant and lonely.

"Hey," a voice said, causing his head to swivel and see Mari slipping through the open window as she often did.

"Hey," he responded, a smile tugging on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry about… you know, earlier."

Earlier?

"I know Kim's always on your case, and… well, I just don't want you to think I am, too. I'm always here to talk about your mom or not talk," she said, her eyebrows drawn together and her eyes large.

He blinked. He had completely forgotten about earlier. He smiled, shaking his head. "Forget about it, Mari. I'm not angry."

She gave him an earsplitting grin. "Good. Then come on."

"Come on? Come on where?"

"Over," she answered, wiggling backwards out the window before poking her head in again briefly. "Papa made tacos."

His stomach growled, and he sighed, wondering why he'd bothered feeling lonely. With Mari around, there was no such thing as being lonely. Just like always, he was comforted by the thought that there would always be time to tell Mari how he felt. She wasn't going anywhere, and besides, nothing was going to get between them.


	6. Six: To Love A Mascot

**Chapter Six: To Love a Mascot**

* * *

"You know who needs a serious reality check? Marinette Dupain- _Lame_ ," Chloé snickered. Her cronies around her laughed or shifted uncomfortable.

Inside the already sweltering ladybug costume, Marinette clenched her fists as calmly as she could. Did it suck having to keep her identity a secret? Not really. Did it suck that doing that meant she couldn't sock Chloé in the jaw right now? Most definitely. Though the game at Françoise Dupont was only across town, they rode the bus with the team to get there, and because of her confidentiality promise, Marinette had boarded the bus in costume. She'd have to wait after the game, too, to take a shower.

She sighed. Why was she doing this again?

Marinette looked out the window, instead. She wished she could call Adrien or at least text him, but the mitts on the costume wouldn't allow it. Besides that, he had a meet for fencing club this evening. She knew because she asked shortly before coming up with a hasty excuse about why she couldn't be at the game tonight. Honestly, she felt like he could see right through her. She just about never lied to him, but he hadn't said anything.

Adrien seemed distracted in the last few days. She supposed that it was nothing beyond school work, but who could tell honestly this time of year. Soon, it'd be five years since Emma had died. If that wasn't enough to distract someone for a few days, she didn't know what would be.

Mari scanned the front of the bus, locating Nino again. He was a nervous looking team captain. The seniors already having their scholarships for college secure, it was time for juniors like him to step up and take the reins. That didn't mean he didn't look like he was about to throw up from his first game. She'd like nothing better than to reassure him, but well, stupid Tikki rules.

She could only hope that the night got better.

* * *

Once again, _everything_ was Chloé's fault. That shouldn't have come as a surprise, but it still did.

The old school rivalries sprang up, and with the close proximity of the two schools, it was easy to incite a packed crowd for the evening, leaving Marinette with malicious butterflies in her stomach that ate away at her confidence. I mean, who thought that there were going to be that many people?

Françoise Dupont's pep band struck up a tune as they filed in, the team going to the court to warm up, and Chloé the Dictator immediately set the team into a series of stretches and warm-ups. Marinette followed behind awkwardly, unsure of her place.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chloé demanded, wheeling around. Evil incarnate, apparently, had eyes in the back of her head.

"Uh, warming up?" Marinette's muffled reply came, putting her duffle bag on the floor beside the cheerleaders' bags.

"Not with us you're not. Go do some… mascot thing," Chloé suggested.

"Gee thanks," she muttered turning around to find Ms. Bustier sitting primly on the bench watching the cheerleaders go.

Seeing the Tikki-clad girl walk up to her, the coach smiled. "Are you ready?"

Mari crossed her arms, scanning the crowd again with wide eyes. "How do I do this?"

Ms. Bustier shrugged. "Be Tikki."

Marinette respected authority, only questioning it in direct opposition to her morals. While this wasn't in direct opposition to her morals, she had never before wanted so badly to tell a teacher to shove it. 'Be Tikki?' Seriously? Was that the best that she had?

But… well, nobody knew what she was in that suit, right? Except Chloé, and who gave a rat's bare behind about what Chloé thought? Be Tikki. For a moment, forget Marinette. She had to think about what she could do to rouse a crowd of people, not what they might think of her. In a way, wasn't that what she did in gymnastics? Amaze a whole group of people with what she could do? Amaze herself with what she could do? And while certainly she didn't feel as powerful or dangerous in the furry mess that was Tikki, it was worth a shot.

Leaning down to stretch out her legs, she loosened her neck. She swung her arms loosely, feeling the blood start to course in her muscles. "Let's start with a running round-off back handspring, end with a full layout, and see what happens in between," she muttered to herself.

With that, she backed up, took a deep breath, then went. Every so often as she went, the floor would spin through her gaze, but she was focused on not tripping in that damnable suit. She eventually came to a stop, nearly sticking the landing but for a little slip. It would cost her in competition, but as she swiveled to face the crowd, she found them on their feet, cheering uproariously at her display.

A rush of happiness ran through her as she involuntarily grinned ear-to-ear. Then she remembered that no one could see her face, but she smiled all the same. Feeling cheeky, she put a hand behind her back and bowed deeply, to the delight of her onlookers. She skipped down the side she came again, stopping to wiggle a little bit and make faces at the opposing team. They were really eating out of the palm of her hand.

Giggling to herself, she glanced across the gym at the opposing side. The competitive part of her wanted to see the other mascot, Plagg at work. She remembered Adrien telling her that Ivan could no longer take the duty. Clearly they hadn't taken long to find a replacement though, as he stood across the gym, stretching his arms out languidly, his mask turned so that it looked like he was staring right at her.

Being the mature person that she was, she turned and wiggled her butt at him, putting a hand to her mouth in the mascot language of laughing as she skipped off again, her crowd laughing at the teasing. She looked up at the clock. Seeing another five minutes of warmup left on the clock, she made her way the short end of the gym by the cheerleaders, preparing another tumble pass.

She started her running pace when two things happened. First, Plagg appeared at the other end, seemingly prepared to make an opposing tumbling pass. Second, Chloé Bourgeois stuck out her foot directly in Marinette's path.

She knew what was going to happen even as her weight was thrown forward by the force of her body still moving and her foot being caught. She was fully prepared for her ankle to sprain. Worse still, it could break. Even as she fell forward though, two strong hands caught her by the arms.

Looking up with a sharp exhale of breath, she found her mascot head nearly touching Plagg's.

"Whoa there," a muffled, masculine voice said. "Can't have you falling for me that easy. Gotta give the people a show first."

She was so incredulous for a moment that she almost slapped him. First, he was all cool and heroic, and then he followed it up with that weak pun? "Trust me, it's the last time you'll be able to catch me," she replied. "Thanks," she added as an afterthought.

"What'd you do to tick off that sourpuss?" he asked, nodding towards Chloé.

"Pretty much existing," she replied. "Well, that, and getting this suit."

"Everyone's dying to be a mascot these days."

"Tell me about it," she replied.

Just then, the buzzer sounded, indicating that the game was about to start. With a start, Marinette looked back at Plagg. "Duty calls."

"Back to the grind," he agreed. "Hard work keeping a crowd in such good cheer, especially going up against you."

She felt her cheeks warm suddenly, and it wasn't the heat from the suit. "Don't go easy on me," she said.

"Just don't be too dazzled by me. I don't think the floor will be nearly as charming if it catches you next time."

"You think you'll get lucky enough that I trip again? You're pushing your luck."

"I'm a black cat. I'm always pushing my luck."

She let out a small laugh and retreated to her half of the gym as the ball was tipped off.

* * *

Though she needed to stop, she still kept getting distracted by Plagg and his antics. He was good… very good. His tumble passes were impressive, and they were in correct form. He'd been trained. He had a charismatic way with the crowd that had them following his every move when he was on the floor. He was drawing her attention, too.

As he caused another wave to cascade through the crowd, she felt her heart beat a little quicker, but she shook it off. She had her own crowd to work and her own crowd to focus on. Forget about cute boys. Wait, what? No, never mind.

Chloé looked like she had something bitter in her mouth all night as Marinette took the spotlight from her and the Bugs. Even the basketball players seemed to appreciate the added support. In the last two minutes, in fact, the Ladybugs pulled out a stream of three-pointers, leading the team to victory.

The whole crowd cascaded onto the floor, beyond excited that the Ladybugs had won conference with this victory. Though both teams were advancing to the playoffs, the rivalry made the victory here that much sweeter. Marinette grinned as she saw Nino being lifted on several people's shoulders. He'd played a great game. Marinette had a feeling that the position could become permanently his.

She turned from the court towards the locker rooms, intent on snagging a quick shower before they had to get back to the school. She caught sight of Plagg again, and the dork gave her a mock salute before he ducked into his locker room on the opposite side of the gym. She was grinning like an idiot as she receded.

But that had nothing to do with Plagg… seriously!

* * *

"Better hurry up, mascot," Marinette heard Chloé's voice snap. "Bus leaves in five with or without you, and I need someone throwing the team's duffles on."

One annoying thing? Ms. Bustier had her set up as an 'equipment manager' for her cover within the team. It meant that she got to ride home in her clothes, but it also meant that she was essentially Chloé's lackey postgame.

Sighing, Marinette turned off the water, reaching out and feeling for her towel. As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed that she was the only one left in the locker room. So she walked over to the locker where she was storing her things. Locker 18, she remembered the number. That was Adrien's number in basketball. The only problem is that when she opened the locker, there was nothing in there. No clothes, no Tikki costume, no duffel bag.

Slamming the locker closed, Marinette looked around quickly, opening the neighboring lockers and scanning the floor. There was absolutely nothing; all of her things were gone. But how…? Marinette paused, suddenly seething. _Chloé._

Stamping her way through the locker room in the towel, she slammed open the door and stepped a few feet into the darkened, empty hallway, looking left and right for the evil cheerleader. There was no one in sight. Suddenly, she heard an ominous sounding click right behind her and swiveled around, pushing on the door. It didn't budge.

"No, no, no, no, no, _nonono_ ," Marinette whined desperately, clawing at the door. Could this night get any worse?

She was going to _kill_ Chloé the next time she saw her!

After a few minutes of desperately trying to wiggle the door open, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She felt her whole face and neck flush red as she turned slowly to behold Plagg standing there.

* * *

 **A/N: Hiya! I know it's been forever since an update, but here we are. Gonna try to get another chapter out tonight. Wish me luck!**


	7. Seven: Chivalry isn't Dead

**Chapter Seven: Chivalry isn't Dead**

* * *

Adrien seriously underestimated how wiped out a night in that mascot suit would leave him. After his retreat from the gym, he was weighing the benefits of competing with the team for a shower at the school versus just heading straight home and decided going home was the better route. First though, he was going to change out of the damnable costume.

He turned the corner, intent on going to the back hall bathroom to change when he saw a girl standing there in a towel. His first instinct was to back away so he did, but not before he suddenly recognized her. _Marinette_?

She looked furious and worried as she pushed and scrabbled at the door, trying to get it to open. He remembered that they locked automatically now and felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. He was jarred into a panic though, as he considered if someone else came into the hallway and saw her.

So Adrien quickly walked up behind her and cleared his through. As Marinette turned around, she gripped her towel even more tightly to her chest, unable to meet his eyes - er, his mask.

"Looks like you could use a paw," he tried, keeping his voice light.

She gritted her teeth. "Again with your lame puns, huh?"

He reached into his bag and pulled out his t-shirt and shorts. "Lame puns and spare gym clothes. I'm the whole package, my lady."

"My lady, huh?" she repeated, sniffling a little as she took the clothes.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, immediately reaching out a hand to put on her shoulder and abruptly stopping as he recalled her situation. "Er, maybe you should change."

"I got locked out," she said, nodding towards the door.

"Yeah, uh, here," he said, nodding towards the other side of the hallway. "The boy's room. No one should be in here right now. I can watch the door."

She nodded again vaguely, shuffling across the hall and entering the room. He stood outside dutifully for a few minutes until she came out in his gym clothes that were just a size too big. The stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds.

"Thanks," she said finally.

"Don't mention it. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Just… a rough night, you know?" she said.

"What are you doing here, Marinette?"

Her head jerked up a little. "You know my name?"

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. "Uh, yeah, you used to go here, right?"

"Right," she answered. "Well, I'm the… uh, I'm the equipment manager. Except someone took my clothes while I was in the shower, and… well, you know the rest."

Adrien felt a flare of anger well up in his chest as his fists clenched. "It wasn't that sourpuss again, was it?"

"Chloé?" she asked. He nodded. "Yeah."

Seriously? What kind of messed up-? "Don't give her the time of day."

"She makes it hard. She doesn't like me," she shrugged ruefully.

Adrien snorted. Leave it to Marinette to not make a big deal of something. "Kind of an understatement, don't you think?"

He got a tiny smile out of her from that. "I guess you're right. Well, this has been mortifying. I'm going to make my exit now."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Where are you going? Your exit is that way."

"I doubt the bus waited for me, and even if it did, I don't want to give Chloé the satisfaction."

"That doesn't sound like you, backing down from a challenge."

"And who are you to know what sounds like me?"

"Come on. Everyone knows Marinette Dupain-Cheng doesn't back down from a fight," he argued, suddenly blushing as she just stared back.

"I do tonight," she said finally. "I just want to go home."

"Well, at least let me walk you."

"No way," she shook her head. "It's out of your way."

"Helping a damsel in distress is never out of my way," he joked, earning him a glare from her.

"You're awfully confident for a man in a mascot costume."

"It gives me that air of mystery - very sexy."

She laughed. "Who are you anyway? Do I know you?"

It was hard to swallow suddenly. She really didn't know who he was. He sort of smiled as he realized that anything he said here, he was saying as Plagg. The anonymity gave him a sudden surge of confidence. "Didn't you know? I'm Plagg, my lady."

She scoffed as they started walking down the hall. "Alright, alright, I get it. You need to preserve your secret identity."

"It's all very Superman and Clark Kent," he agreed.

"And do you have a Lois Lane?" she asked, looking at him.

His heart just about beat out of his chest. "U-uh, no."

"Oh," she said, turning forward with a little smile.

Was she teasing him? Determined to get the upper hand again, he said, "I'll be having auditions next week. You could always give it a try."

She laughed. "Thanks, but I'm more of a leading lady, don't you think?"

That she was. They pushed open the doors outside and cold air bit through the fur. His eyes widening, he looked over at Marinette to see her shivering slightly. He quickly reached into his duffel bag and pulled out his black pea coat. "Here."

"Thanks," she said, taking it gratefully and pulling it on. "Anything else in your bag of tricks?"

"Used socks? Deodorant?"

"Be still, my beating heart."

He laughed. "Nothing that can help with your cheerleader problem, unfortunately."

"Yeah, well, my papa raised a fighter. Don't you worry about me," she joked, puffing out her chest a little.

He still felt a slow-burning anger in his chest. Chloé. He filed her name away for future use. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee?"

"Trying to at least," she responded.

"How are things going at the new school?" he asked, curious as to how she'd answer to a stranger. They turned down a new street away from the school, and it got quieter.

"I'm doing my best," she answered after a few moments.

"But?"

She let out a tiny snort. "Who are you? Dr. Phil?"

"Even better than that. I'm a stranger. Who could I possibly tell about all of this?"

"I don't know, your creepy little blog?"

"I have a creepy little blog now?"

"A guy who voluntarily dresses in a cat suit? It's that or a disturbingly large doll collection."

"What if they were action figures?" he asked as they passed under the yellow lamplight that illuminated the sidewalk.

"That's not any better," she laughed. "You could get away with it if you were hot, but we can't confirm or deny that, can we?"

"Oh, I can confirm it. I can definitely confirm it. Like a black car in the Arizona sun," he replied quickly, earning him another laugh from her.

"It may be just how stifling that costume is," she laughed.

"Oh? You have experience in mascotting?"

"Uh… um, no, I was just… guessing," she said, her cheeks flaring up red as she crossed her arms, hugging her arms to herself.

She was wearing his shoes which were definitely too big for her, and the sidewalk suddenly got icy. He shuffled along, adapting, but she spilled forward with a small yelp. He quickly reached out and tried to catch her, but the momentum sent them both tumbling down. He turned them back so he was the one falling on the ice on his back, hugging her to him. The Plagg suit offered a little bit of cushioning but not much as he fell squarely on his behind and then on his back.

The air was forced out of his lungs with a little gasp, and he squeezed instinctively a little harder around Marinette, who braced herself as quickly as she could on her hands and knees over him, her bright blue eyes white and her eyebrows drawn together in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy," he wheezed, coughing a bit.

"I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz!"

"I haven't seen a klutz with more gymnastics medals than leaves on a tree, but I guess there's a first for anything."

She cocked her head, and he noticed that it had started to snow. Little clumps were getting caught in her black hair. "How did you know I was a gymnast?"

Crap. Not again. "Who doesn't know that?" he asked, trying to play it off. "Anyway, you can fall on me anytime, my lady. It's a pleasure."

Her face flared up red, and he smiled. There was something so pleasing about making her blush.

"Easy, tom cat," she teased standing up and offering a hand to him. "This is my street," she continued, jerking her head to the left.

He knew that, but she didn't know that he knew that. "Looks nice. A little lonely, but nice."

She laughed. "You should see it in the light of day. Adrien and I-"

"Adrien?"

"He's my best friend," she said quickly. "We've known each other forever."

The words didn't sit well with him. It was like she brushed him off as a side note. "Oh." He was about to say something more when a car suddenly drove up alongside them as they made it in front of Marinette's house.

A very excited looking boy in glasses and a red cap hopped out in his puffy winter coat with a duffel bag Adrien recognized as being Marinette's. "Marinette!" he said. "Hey, I didn't see you go, but Chloé like, totally dumped this on the bus and looked really ticked off when you didn't show up. Is everything okay? What are you wearing? And who is this?" He sized up Adrien with curiosity.

"Hey, Nino," she said with a smile. "I'm fine; it was just another one of Chloé's stupid pranks. She left me without my clothes, and Plagg here was kind enough to lend me some of his," she said, indicating the mascot.

Oh. So this was Nino. Nino the boy who was a friend. Not Nino the boy friend. Still, Adrien felt jealousy curl up within him at the cheerful boy.

"Major bummer," Nino commented. "The Chloé's a real killjoy. You'd think she'd treat her equipment manager with more respect."

"Wouldn't you just?" Marinette said weakly, her smile a little distant. Adrien narrowed his eyes.

"It was totally cool of you to look after Marinette though," Nino continued, peering at the mascot. "She's one special lady."

"I know it," Adrien said firmly, wanting nothing more than to drag Mari over to his house and away from this guy.

"Let's get you inside," Nino said gently, looking back at Marinette with a dopey sort of look on his face. "I _have_ to tell you what happened on the bus."

"Oh, uh, okay," she said, looking uncertainly at Plagg.

"Seems our time together has come to an end, my lady."

She pouted a little. "Just for tonight. Oh, here," she said, shrugging off the coat and handing it back to him. "I'd give you the clothes back, but…"

"Don't worry about it. They look better on you anyway," he replied, a little thrill going through him as she blushed again.

"O-okay, well. Thank you again. You were a real lifesaver tonight," she said with a smile.

"What can I say?" he asked with a shrug. "I'm a regular superhero."

She smiled warmly at him, all teeth and pink cheeks. "Goodnight, kitty."

"Goodnight, my lady."

He made as if to walk back towards the school. There was no sense in rousing her suspicions. His jealousy rose again as he watched Nino remove his jacket and put it over his Mari as they hurried indoors, but he remembered her smile, and it warmed him up inside all over again. He waited until the were indoors before he hurried across the sidewalk and into his dark house.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, W O W, you guys totally blew me away this afternoon! Thank you! There's so many of you, and you're commenting, and you're all so nice! You're seriously going to make a girl cry. But here we are, like promised, Chapter 7. I'll do my absolute best to get more out during the week, but if I can't expect another cluster of chapters next weekend! Thank you thank you thank you again! P.S. Oh, and I totally agree, Chloé's an absolute bitch, but just wait, she's gonna get worse. And I'm so glad you guys picked up on the Nino/Marinette thing. That'll become important later on, too. Okay, have a great night, (try to) be good, you're the best!**


	8. Eight: Head over Heels

**Chapter Eight: Head over Heels**

* * *

"... Marinette?"

"Huh?" she asked, pulling away from the window. Plagg wasn't in sight, and her heart dropped a little in disappointment.

"You saw the game?"

"Yes," she replied distantly. "You did wonderfully."

"I didn't see you on the bus."

Jarring back into the conversation, she looked at Nino again. "Oh, uh… I was in the back. You know, Chloé."

"Yeah, Chloé," he agreed.

"Cookies, anyone?" Tom, her father, asked, entering the room with a tray full of them.

"That sounds fantastic Mr. D," Nino said before Marinette could shoo her father away.

Mentally, she facepalmed. Her mother had shooed her father out of the living room after she came in with a boy. She had given her daughter an exaggerated wink as they left the room. Seriously? Did they think she was on a date with a boy dressed in basketball shorts and an old grey Nike shirt that was too big on her?

As her father made his retreat with this little knowing smile, she groaned internally. Why couldn't her father see that she and Nino were just friends the same as her and Adrien? She'd hardly been interested in boys besides Nathanael a few years ago, and that feeling had evaporated really fast when his hands slid farther south than they should have on the dance floor.

"Are you going to change out of those?" Nino asked in a muffled voice caused by the cookies in his mouth as he indicated Plagg's clothes that she was still wearing.

"Oh, uh, yeah," she said standing. "I guess I should…" she jerked her thumb back towards the stairs.

"Right!" he said, shooting up sheepishly and putting a hand behind his head. "It's late. I should go."

"Oh… no," she said hesitantly. "That feels rude."

"No worries, Marinette. You can pay me back with these cookies," he added, snagging a few in his hand. "I'll see you Monday?"

"Of course," she smiled. "And congratulations on tonight."

His cheeks reddened. "Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks," he muttered as he stepped out the door. "Night, Marinette."

"Night!" she called, bounding up the stairs.

* * *

Confession time. Marinette hardly slept that night. She spent way too much time online looking at people's pictures from the night, trying to find as many as she could with the mysterious Plagg. She didn't know why she thought it was going to help' no one knew who he was. There were plenty of comments about how well he did and many more asking about his identity. Nobody seemed to know.

Finally, she turned over exhausted and fell asleep. She woke when an annoying sunbeam hit her right in the eye. Groaning, she turned over, burying her face in her arm. Her nose picked up on a scent that was somewhat familiar but still strange and new at the same time.

Smiling, she opened her eyes, looking down at the grey shirt. So it really had happened. She really got caught in the hallway with no clothes and then saved by a mysterious stranger. It seemed too crazy to have actually happened. Snuggling closer to her covers, Marinette could hardly contain the warm feeling that was radiating through her body.

A cloud came over her mood as she remembered that as romantic as the gallant act had been, it was last night. It was an isolated event of Plagg taking pity on her. Nothing more and nothing less. Without knowing who he was, last night would stay as it was: a lovely dream.

Suddenly charged with determination, she sat up, seizing her cell phone and clicking through her contacts until she came to the right number. Nervously twisting her hair as she listened to the dull dial tone, she straightened up the moment it was picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey! It's been a long time. I know it's a bit of a longshot, but would you be up to meeting for coffee in my parents' bakery?"

* * *

"Hey, girl!" a voice said excitedly, causing Marinette to turn in her seat and away from her cappuccino.

"Alya," she said warmly, standing to hug her friend.

Back at Françoise Dupont, they'd been the only two staff of the newspaper for a long time. Now there were three other staff members so Marinette didn't feel as bad about leaving. Still, she missed Alya's upbeat personality and penchant for sniffing out every little piece of gossip in the school. If anyone knew anything about the new mascot, it would be her.

"How have you been?" Alya asked after she ordered herself an espresso and muffin and waited for Manon, the Dupain-Cheng's plucky, if not a bit young, server on the weekends and after school.

"Busy," she answered honestly.

It was true. Between homework, helping in the bakery, and Chloé's practices, she'd been hitting the bed every night exhausted that week. Marinette was starting to feel bad about the amount of time she had to spend with friends. Besides their walks home in the afternoon and the night that she had invited him home for dinner, she'd hardly seen Adrien. It felt weird.

"Same here, girl," Alya nodded, crossing her legs as she leaned back, pushing her glasses up. "Newspapers don't edit themselves, you know?"

"Speaking of, any big stories?" she asked, fishing as casually as she could for information.

"Let's see, 'Marinette Dupain-Cheng Strands School and Friends Unexpectedly'?" she hummed.

Mari winced. "Yeah. I am sorry about that. It was really last minute."

"You don't have to apologize to me. If I had gotten in, my parents would've transferred me like that," she said with a snap. "But it only happened a week ago. You're all people seem to be talking about… well, until the next story comes in."

"Mm," she murmured, taking a sip of cappuccino as Alya's order arrived.

"But you didn't call me here just to catch up," the journalist continued shrewdly, taking a bite out of her blueberry muffin.

Marinette sighed, tracing the rim of her cup thoughtfully as she felt her face heat up. "So, um, you know a lot of the guys at Françoise Dupont, right?"

"Not in the biblical sense," Alya laughed in reply. "But if you're asking if I have the dirt, you know the answer's no. What's the matter? Is someone giving you trouble?"

"No, nothing like that," she answered, shaking her head. "I… um, well, I have feelings for someone."

"Yeah?" Alya leaned forward so her elbows touched down on the table. "Do tell more."

"I…" she blushed further. What was with this infernal blushing? She was never this bashful! "He's a dork, but he's sweet and gallant and… I don't know. I can't believe I went to school with him and never noticed him."

Alya's hazel eyes lit up and a smile slowly grew on her face as Marinette spoke. When she finished, the reporter said, "Finally, girl! Oh, I just knew you two were going to get together! I've only been shipping this since, like second grade!"

"Wait, what are you talking about? I basically just met him last night."

"Last night?" Alya asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

"Plagg," she said, dropping her voice to a murmur as she glanced around to see if anyone was listening.

"Plagg," Alya repeated, looking at her with a little bit of disbelief. "Plagg… the mascot? Formerly Ivan Bruel? Now played Mystery Person #2? Star of last night's game even though he wasn't playing in it? May not even be a guy but a girl in costume?"

"Yes on all counts, and don't talk so loudly!" Marinette hissed back, gripping her cup tighter. "Except you're wrong about the questionably a girl part. I can guarantee he's a guy."

"Ooh, I can feel a juicy story behind this whole thing. Dish. Immediately," Alya said, sitting back with her coffee held close to her mouth as she waited.

Marinette sighed, knowing resistance was futile. So she told her the whole thing… while, minus being Tikki, obviously. It felt good in a way, too. She felt weird about sharing this sort of thing with Adrien even if she wasn't really sure why. Having a girl friend to tell this kind of thing to came as a giant relief though as she was able to recount everything that had happened. Alya remained quiet for the most part, only occasionally asking clarifying questions or how she felt about something.

"And so?" Alya asked at the end of it.

"And so what?"

"You didn't ask him on a date or something?"

"What? Are you serious? After all of… that? He has to think I'm the biggest freak in the world."

" _Or_ he thinks you're a cute damsel who was in distress and in need of his gym clothes," Alya suggested. "I mean, come on, who does that sort of thing? He must have really liked you. Why didn't you take the chance?"

"Look, I just want to know who he is!" Marinette argued back.

"And why is his identity necessary for you liking him?" Alya asked, crossing her arms.

"It isn't! I just… how am I supposed to track him down if I don't know who he is?"

"Grow some lady balls, find him in costume, and tell him that you like him?"

Marinette pinched her lips together. "Look, can you find out who he is, or not?"

"I can do my best," Alya replied with a grin, standing. "Look, I have to get going. I'm on babysitting duty this afternoon. But on the off chance that I can't find out who he is, be ready for Plan B, okay? I like Marinette in love; I think she should stick around."

Her friend left Marinette sitting at the table, blushing into a coffee cup for absolutely no reason.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey y'all! Hope the week treated you well! I'm back with (fingers crossed) three more chapters this weekend. Here's one for now. Gonna try to finish the second one tonight and then you can expect number three sometime tomorrow. Thanks for all the patience! Also, special shoutouts to mayuralover, TheNovelArtist, and GokuSuperSaiyanTime because your reviews keep me company and reassure me that I'm not alone here in my crazy - we can all be crazy together - hahahahahahahahahaha. Anyway, happy Saturday!**


	9. Nine: Running Interference

**Chapter Nine: Running Interference**

* * *

Five minutes passed. Then ten, then twenty, and finally, Marinette was a half hour late. Adrien stood on the corner where they always met after school, nervously fidgeting with his bag. What if something had happened to her? They hadn't really gotten the chance to talk all weekend, and she seemed totally distracted when they walked to school that morning. What if she had gotten sick? Or worse, what if she was on a date?

No, no, Adrien shook his head. He couldn't waste time just standing there and worrying about her. If she wasn't going to come here, he would go to the school and find her. I mean, it was a small school. How hard could it be?

* * *

For the record, it was difficult. Actually finding the school wasn't hard. I mean, it was on the same street as Françoise Dupont was on, just ten blocks down. But when he got there, he also had to convince the secretary very poorly that he was just a student looking for another student and not some transient walking in off the street. Though he knew that his white button-up was sort of rumpled because he'd tossed it in his gym locker during class and his pea coat was hanging open, he didn't think that it was enough to make him look homeless.

Eventually, a kind secretary let him through when he mentioned that the girl he was looking for was new and that he was her friend.

"Oh, Marinette?" the secretary had asked.

"You know her?"

"Most certainly. She comes in every day with new questions about forming a women's gymnastics team," the woman replied cheerily. "She's a stubborn one."

"Yes, she is," he replied, relieved.

"Go on through, dear, just don't disturb anything."

"Alright, thank you," he said, pushing his bag up further on his shoulder before quickly leaving the office, not wanting to give them the chance to change their minds.

Then there was the matter of actually finding her. This was about the time that he realized that he had absolutely no idea where he was going and if she was even going to be here. Though it was after school hours, there were still plenty of identically-uniformed students milling around for extra curriculars. All of them were staring at him, parting the hallways like the Red Sea and he was Moses when he came near. What was with this school? Did he have something on his face?

Adrien fidgeted with his bag strap as he hurried down the halls. Chess club, art club, school newspaper, student council, the clubs meeting that day seemed to be endless. Among them also were study groups and tutoring sessions. No wonder there were so many people around. It seemed like this school never rested.

"You alright, dude? You look totally lost," a voice chimed from behind him.

Turning, he saw a guy in glasses and basketball shorts staring at him. With a start, Adrien recognized him as the same guy from the other night who had interrupted his walk home with Marinette. His teeth clenched slightly before he remembered that he should have no way of remembering who this person was.

"Uh, yeah," he answered. "Just looking for my friend."

"Does he have a name? Maybe I can help you."

"Yes, _she_ does," he answered. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The boy's eyes widened. "No way, are you Adrien? Adrien Agreste, right?"

He nodded.

"Nino Lahiffe," the guy formally introduced himself, sticking out a hand. "Man, Marinette talks about you all the time."

Adrien puffed out his chest a little bit, smug in the knowledge that she talked about him. He took Nino's hand and shook it. "She didn't meet me like usual for our walk home from school," he said. "I wasn't sure if she would still be here."

"She was at school today," Nino nodded. "You might try in the gym. It's just down that way to the right. I'd join, but I have to head home. It was nice meeting you."

"You as well," Adrien replied, hiking up his bag further on his shoulder and taking off down the hall.

So that Nino guy may not be so bad after all. Besides, Mari was talking about _him_ , and he'd hardly heard word about Nino. How much of a threat could he really be?

* * *

"Five, six, five six, seven, eight," a red-headed cheerleader counted off as Adrien entered the gym.

He scanned the gym but saw only the cheerleaders performing the routine. There was no Marinette in sight. Suddenly feeling very awkward and out-of-place, Adrien got ready to back away and curse the ever living daylights out of Nino Lahiffe and his bad tips.

"Who are you?" a voice asked behind him. "This is a closed practice."

He turned, ready with his excuses, when he lit on a familiar blond cheerleader. She was the one who tripped her own mascot on the court. Worse yet, she was the one who left Marinette in the hallway without any clothes. She was bad news. If Adrien was actually a cat, he would've flattened his ears to his skull. As it was, his lips curled in a displeased frown.

She, on the other hand, had a smile growing on her face that wasn't so much friendly as it was slightly predatory. "On the other hand," she continued. "It can be open for you. I'm Chloé Bourgeois, and what can I call you?"

There wasn't a time when he wanted to say 'absolutely nothing' more, but he gritted his teeth instead. "Adrien Agreste," he introduced himself.

"Agreste?" she cooed. "Like Agreste Designs?"

"My father's company," he said. "Look, have you seen Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Her smile turned into a sneer. " _That_ girl? Yeah, she's-"

"Adrien!" a muffled voice said before scurrying up to them. It was the mascot from the other night - Tikki, he remembered. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi," he said as she joined them. "Do I know you?"

The mascot seemed to freeze for a second. "I, uh, know Marinette! And… um, she talks - about… you! All the time!"

"Do you know where she is?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Chloé asked, looking at him. "She's right-"

"I'll take you to her," Tikki said firmly, grabbing his hand. "Let's go."

"Hold on a second. I can take him," Chloé said, grabbing his arm. "What do you say, Adrihoney? We could get to know each other better."

"I… I, um," he said.

The mascot's grip on his hand tightened further as she yanked him away. "This way to Marinette," she said firmly, pulling him into a job. "Come on!"

"Wait!" Chloé shouted, coming after them. " _Tikki_ , mind your manners!"

Bursting through the doors of the gymnasium, Tikki picked up her pace. "Unless you want to become head cheerleader food, I suggest you run. Now, come on!"

With that, she took off. Someone reminded of Marinette and how she always made decisions like this, he was left with no choice but to follow. So he did.

* * *

"The library?" Adrien asked, slightly winded as the reached the quiet place with bookshelves stacked the ceiling. There was a balcony on the second floor where they now stared down into the students reading, studying, and working.

Tikki appeared to be studying the doors of the library. Seeming satisfied that nothing undesirable was coming through the doors, she turned to Adrien, pulling him further into the shelves before slumping down in a chair in the corner of the library.

"Sorry, the librarian's kind of a stickler. I don't think anyone will hear us back here."

"And Marinette?" he pressed.

"Oh, uh, she's tutoring someone in math, I think," Tikki said. "Anyway, she won't be done for awhile, and you don't want to run into Chloé again, do you?"

His eyes narrowed again in annoyance. "No," he admitted. "Thanks for saving me back there."

"Any time," Tikki assured him, sitting across from him. "That Chloé can be such a bother."

"Is she always that-?"

"Mean?"

"Weird," he corrected her. "She was sort of looking at me like-"

"You were a meal?"

He laughed. "Do you ever let anyone finish their sentences?"

"I like to try and read minds," she corrected him.

"Well, anyway, you saved me back there."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I meet Marinette at the same corner every day after school, and she wasn't there today. I just wanted to make sure that she was alright."

"She is," Tikki said. "I mean, er… I'm sure she's fine."

"So which of Mari's friends are you?" he asked. "She hasn't told me about many."

"Oh, I… I can't tell you," she said. "It's a secret. I'm sorry."

"I understand that better than you think, actually," he mused, standing and scanning the titles beside them.

"So you and Marinette are best friends?" Tikki asked.

"Isn't that suit hot?" he asked, slinging his bag down.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine."

She crossed her arms. "Has anyone ever told you that you're kind of a dork?"

"Yep," he smiled. "Mari, my best friend."

"Well then, yes, the suit is hot. But I can't exactly let you see my mild-mannered alter ego, now can I?"

"Good point."

"I thought so. Anyway," she said. "What is it like going to school without her?"

"Lonelier," he answered. "Mari lights up every room she walks into. I'm always looking over to tell her a joke or ask a question, and then it's just remembering all over that she isn't there."

"So then you're mad at her?" Tikki asked, crossing her arms.

"Not at all," he replied. "This was out of our control. I just worry that with a new school and new people… well, what if it's my time to fade into the background."

"Fade into the background?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, friendships change all the time, right?"

"Oh, Adrien-"

"Wait, do you hear that?" he interrupted her as they both listened keenly to the sound.

"Adrikins? Are you in here?" Chloé asked from among the shelves.

"You have got to be kidding me," he groaned. "Again?"

Tikki shrugged. "It's a small school, and the girl is relentless. It's probably time to get Marinette anyway - unless you want to play hide-and-seek with a crazy cheerleader."

* * *

Adrien waited nervously in the hallway, checking up and down for any signs of Chloé and finding none. Tikki had left him there to retrieve Marinette. She promised that it was a pretty well deserted hallway and no one would find him, but he still had his doubts. He didn't know what was up with Chloé, but he knew that he didn't want anything to do with Mari's bully.

"Adrien!"

He turned, a large smile on his face as he perceived his best friend coming down the hallway with her bag. She greeted him with a hug. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she continued. "I was, uh, tutoring. Tikki told me I'd find you here."

"Don't worry about it," he said, his worry evaporating as they walked out of the school.

"Hey, Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll always my best friend, you know that?"

He looked at her, surprised. She was looking forward, waiting for traffic to pass so they could cross the street safely. "I… yeah."

"So you better not think you're going anywhere," she added as she started striding across the street.

A goofy smile worked its way up his face before he loped after her.


	10. Ten: A Date? !

**Chapter Ten: A Date?!**

* * *

She wasn't sure how she had managed to keep her identity a secret from Adrien, but she had. At least, he hadn't indicated otherwise to her that he knew her secret. The walk home, he hadn't treated her any differently. Thank goodness for that, too. She couldn't even imagine how much Adrien would harass her if he knew.

Chloé's emergency practice had grinded Marinette's gears - especially because she was required to practice with the cheer squad in the Tikki suit. She hardly even thought about the fact that Adrien would be waiting for her for their open gym time that afternoon.

Having been gymnasts at the same gym for over ten years, both Adrien and Marinette were a part of more elite gymnasts who were able to attend open gym to put in the extra hours needed for their routines. So it wasn't that they had an official appointment with Mr. Fu every other afternoon during open gym, but it was sort of implied.

Tugging her ponytail tighter as she scurried into the gym in her blue leotard, she kept her eyes down after immediately spotting the small man in his bright red Hawaiian shirt. She dove down on the mat, stretching as Adrien entered on the other side. He walked over to her, taking his time before he sat down next to her.

"Would you stop sulking?" he asked her. "Fu hasn't even seen us yet, and he won't be angry."

"Say what you want," she grumbled. "But he's starting to think about who to send to Nationals. This is the first year he'll let me."

"You're the best," he argued, leaning forward on his elbows as he stretched out his legs.

"Which is exactly why I can't give him a reason not to nominate me," she argued stretching her arm across her body. "There are people with more experience."

"And there's nobody who wants it more," he reassured her, reaching out to take her hands as their feet matched together. He pulled back, stretching her lower back.

"If only that were enough," she grumbled. "Besides, you want it, too."

"Well, I can't let you get too far ahead - or did you already forget who your first teacher was?"

"Of course not, _sensei_ ," she giggled, rolling her eyes. As she pulled back up, she noticed that his face was flushed red. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he mumbled.

"And anyway, so what if I'm better," she mocked him. "Aren't you a bit old to be a sore loser?"

"Older than you," he shot back, standing and still grasping her hands to pull her up. "You starting on the beam?"

"Saving the best for first," she nodded, chalking her hands before approaching the beam as Adrien walked over to the rings.

She took her right hand, giving three passes over the middle of the beam before she put her palms on it and lifted herself up. She could feel her whole weight momentarily on her strong wrists before she came to a gentle rest atop the beam. She didn't rest long though, as she quickly swiveled up to a tenuous sort of stillness on her feet, a four inch wide beam supporting her from the ground.

She shifted her feet almost imperceptibly, feeling how her weight was settled. Then, with a deep breath, she did a standing forward tuck. There was a fraction of a second where she couldn't see the beam and she had to have total faith in her body moving through the air. Then the beam was back and her feet were touching down solidly. She took another deep breath and released it, preparing for her backwards pass down the beam.

"If only our time commitments were so easy to balance as our bodies," a slow voice said behind her.

Her eyes snapped back open as she swiveled, nearly falling off the beam before she found her center again, stumbling to a clumsy state of balance. Her eyes narrowed on the small man in front of her. "Fu," she said in greeting.

"Marinette," he returned the greeting.

"I'm sorry," she said, wringing her hands. "It was… I know there's no excuse-"

He held a hand up, stopping her. "I've never seen you miss our unofficial meetings. If you say it's important, I believe you. Now, have you found a means to practice at your new school?"

She pursed her lips. "Not in the most… direct sense, but yes."

Fu raised an eyebrow.

"I'm definitely getting my cardio in?"

He surprised her with a low laugh, his eyes shifting over to Adrien, who was halfway through his rings routine, as she placed her hands on her hips. "And how is he taking the adjustment?"

It was her turn to laugh. "Why does everyone keep asking that? Adrien is doing just fine."

"Hmmm," Fu hummed. "That boy always has one eye forward and one eye on you. And where do you look?"

"At the beam?" she guessed, not really paying attention to the coach any longer now that she knew he wasn't angry. She had repositioned her feet and was concentrating on completing the pass.

Fu let her finish the pass, bouncing slightly on her feet instead of a solid stick. She screwed up her mouth slightly.

"You focus too much," Fu commented.

She scoffed, looking at him. "Focus is how I got here."

"Heart is how you got here," he said, his eyes sliding back over to her. "Any fool can learn to do this with enough heart."

"And balance," she interjected.

"You're a teenager," he complained. "Can't you focus on math tests or boys instead?"

She felt her face heat up as she thought of Plagg. "What kind of coach are you right now?" she asked in an accusing voice. "Shouldn't you encourage an athlete who focuses on the sport?"

"You mistake me, my dear," he said, reach up and patting her hand reassuringly as he had for over ten years as her primary gymnastics coach. "I don't want to see that fire fade. There is such thing as too much of a good thing. It's the quickest way of burning out."

"I burn too bright to burn out," she corrected him.

"So said every star that faded," he hummed.

"Maybe that's why they never named one Marinette," she said, launching forward again.

* * *

"Sorry, girl," Alya said again on the other end of the phone. "Nobody has heard hide nor hair of our furry friend."

"Seriously? Furry friend?"

"Sounded cooler than mascot," Alya justified herself.

Marinette sighed, rising reluctantly to hang her towel up to dry and running a hand through her wet tangles. Between rampaging Chloé's practice, starting one of Fu's notoriously difficult routines, and coming home to a sink full of dishes that it was her responsibility to do, she was thoroughly exhausted by the day - just not enough not to immediately pick up when Alya called. She had thought it was to tell her good news. Instead, it just seemed to be another dead end.

"Is it really such an awful thing though?" Alya continued.

"What?" she asked, shaken out of her thoughts.

"Would it be such an awful thing if I couldn't find this guy?"

"I… If this is too much to ask-"

"No, no, no, nothing like that," Alya assured her. "I'm only saying… well, what if this is a sign? Like maybe… I mean, it's great that you're finally interested in dating _somebody_ , but maybe it isn't supposed to be Plagg. Maybe it's someone who's been under your nose this whole time."

"Hey! I've been interested in dating before."

"Really?"

"Okay, well, you can't just transfer your feelings for someone on someone else. It doesn't work like that."

"I'm not saying it does," she argued. "I'm just saying you never know, and sometimes you need to take chances instead. You can't just live with an idealized image of a guy in your head and never act on it."

"So what _do_ I do then?" Marinette asked, slipping under her covers.

"Go on dates," Alya suggested. "Make mistakes. Give people a try."

"You sound like you have someone in mind."

"And so what if I do?"

"No setting me up," Marinette reprimanded her.

"Don't worry, I'll stay out of it. Just… keep an open mind, will you?"

She sighed again. "I'll try."

* * *

"If you find my body decomposing in these shelves, totally move that demon posing as a Chemistry teacher to the top of the suspect list," Nino groaned, sinking down beside her in their usual lunch spot in the library. While eating wasn't strictly allowed, they still managed to sneak stuff in so they didn't have to brave the school cafeteria.

Marinette laughed, now about a quarter of the way through that Perrault biography that she only read waiting for Nino for their lunches. She snapped it closed now, turning to Nino and holding up half of her apple. He reached out to take it, but she held it back. "Excuse me, sir, where's your half of the deal?"

It was his turn to laugh as he grabbed half of his cookie and handed it off to her. She nibbled on it as he dug into his lunch. She stared up at the books in front of her, still mulling over her disappointment in not knowing who Plagg was. Was Alya right? Was she getting too hung up on this? Maybe… maybe Fu was right. Did she just need a bit of a break from always focusing so hard on her goals? To slow down and just enjoy the ride a bit?

"Hey, Marinette," Nino said at length, his fingers nervously dancing over his binder.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think… um, doyouwanttogoonadatewithme?"

"Huh?"

"Do you… do you want to go on a date with me?" he said, visibly forcing his words to slow down by taking a deep breath.

She stared at him, blinking. Right under her nose, huh?

"I mean… oh, God, forget about it. I'm… I'm so sorry," he babbled.

"Uh, yes," she said before she lost her nerve.

"Yes?"

"Yes," she nodded, saying it with more certainty.

 _Okay, Alya. Okay, Fu. Okay, universe,_ she thought. _I'm trying it your way._

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, can we call this a three day weekend? XD I know, I know, bad writer, missing my deadline. But I promised three, and here they are. Be back with more next weekend, just not sure how much. Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows; it makes it soooo worthwhile. :3**


	11. Eleven: Just the Two of Us

**Chapter Eleven: Just the Two of Us**

* * *

"And then?" Alya prompted him.

"That's it," Adrien replied, putting his head down on the lab table.

"The actual _words,_ Agreste," she sighed. "I need to know how she said it."

"Why?"

"It's important, okay? Even the littlest thing could mean something important!"

He sighed, sitting up and looking at her. "Well…"

* * *

"Oh! What! _What!_ " Marinette cheered, standing and tossing her remote carelessly in the beanbag chair behind her as Adrien's avatar on the screen laid lamely on his side, shooting out digital blood like fireworks.

She started doing her trademark victory dance which involved swinging her arms back and forth and turning her knees in and out. Coupled with the fact that she was wearing a red sweater that was off one shoulder and pajama shorts almost made her too cute to handle.

 _Snap out of it,_ Adrien thought sternly to himself. _Before you start drooling._

She laughed, flopping down in her beanbag and scooting over to the edge where his beanbag overlapped so he slid a little towards the middle, stopping himself with a hand before he rolled right into her. Marinette stared up at him with a smile. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

That was saying something. She'd only been going to her new school for a few weeks, and this was the first time since that fateful afternoon she had told him that she was going away that they'd actually sat down to play video games again. It felt nice and comfortable and… just the way things were meant to be. It was the type of time that made it feel like they were meant to be.

On a whim, he said, "Let's go to Lettie's on Friday. We can share some Smothered Fries like old times."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of their favorite diner. "That sounds absolutely…" she paused, her shoulder slumping a little and pouting. "I can't."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Oh," she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're going to think it's stupid - really."

"Try me."

"I have a date," she said, smiling at him. "Stupid, right?"

"I… what?"

"It's this whole thing with the Universe and Fu and Alya and trying the things that are right in front of me."

"I… what?" he repeated again.

Marinette laughed. "It doesn't matter."

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter? His ears were ringing. Adrien's mind felt like it had completely stopped, centered on the fact that Mari - his Mari - was going on a date with someone else. All of the his Doomsday-like prophecies about her dating were coming rapidly true, cycling through his head faster than a cyclone. First, she went on a date, then they started dating, it stayed strong through school, he proposed, they got married, and suddenly he was an honorary uncle still heartbroken over the same girl?

"Adrien!"

"Huh?"

She laughed. "You're ridiculous. I was just asking if you wanted to try Lennie's on Saturday."

"Oh… uh, no," he said, standing suddenly enough that she nearly slipped and fell into his beanbag. He picked up his bag. "I don't think Saturday will be… I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Is everything alright?"

"I just have a headache," he lied. "I'll see you later."

* * *

"Well you know what we have to do," Alya said with determination, tapping her pen against their lab table as Ms. Mendeleiev passed by, watching their beakers. The reaction took some time to undergo. Until then, they were to take observations every minute.

"What _we_ have to do?"

"Yep," Alya said confidently, scribbling down 'no change' again on her sheet before looking at Adrien. "We have to make sure it's the worst possible first date in history."

"What? No! I'm not doing that to her!"

"Okay, then get ready to be obscure because if she goes on this date and starts going out with this guy, guess who's the first person he's going to want her to stop seeing? Because it isn't the plucky, journalistic friend who's a _girl_."

Adrien sighed, picking at his fingernails, a nervous habit from his childhood. "Okay, fine. We sabotage the date. But how?"

* * *

"When you said sabotage their date, I didn't think you meant by going on our own date," Adrien hissed as they entered Animan Arcade that Friday night.

"Oh, sweet, naïve Adrien," Alya tutted. "The only way to destroy the beautiful bloom of romance is to crush it from within. Plus, do you _know_ how relieved she was when I asked if we could go on a double date? She was so nervous about going on her own."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What did she say when she found out it was me you were going with?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing because she doesn't know," Alya said, leaning up against the snack bar as they waited and watched the door for Marinette and Nino to arrive.

"What?! Why wouldn't you tell her?"

"So you could see the look on her face yourself," Alya said, nodding towards the entrance as the girl entered.

Her eyes lit on Alya, and she waved excitedly before seeing Adrien. Her eyebrows scrunched together as behind her, Nino entered the arcade. Then they both walked over towards Alya and Adrien.

"Hi!" Mari said cheerfully to Alya before turning to her best friend. "Adrien, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I…" he looked at Alya who widened her eyes as if to say 'tell her, dummy!' "I'm on a date," he said, looking back at her. "With Alya. Here. At the arcade."

He could feel Alya rolling her eyes.

"You two… together?" Marinette asked, scrunching her eyebrows together again.

"Ye-es," he said, drawing it out slightly.

The four were quiet for a moment before Nino cleared his throat, extending a hand. "Hey man, Nino? From the other day?"

"Right, yeah," Adrien said, taking his hand and shaking it. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Any time."

"You two have met?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, the other day," Nino said. "He was looking for you at school. Did you guys find each other?"

"Yes," Adrien said quickly, finding himself annoyed by Nino's presence and questions.

Alya seemed to understand. "Let's get some tokens so we can get going, alright?"

"Yeah," Marinette said, pursing her lips slightly as she looked at the student journalist.

* * *

"Basketball! Let's try it out!" Nino said excitedly, grinning ear to ear at Marinette who looked less excited at the prospect.

"Oh, really? I'm not very good," she said, laughing. He took her hand and tugged her along anyway.

"Thanks okay, I'm the best. I'll win us a ton of tickets, just you wait!"

Adrien started after them. "Yeah, basketball sounds like fun."

Alya caught up with him, tugging on his arm. "Are you crazy?" she hissed. "Since when do you play basketball?"

"Since _Nino_ thinks he's the best," Adrien growled, yanking his arm out of her grasp.

"Okay, whoa, horsie," she said, grabbing him again. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Competing at basketball again?"

Marinette was giggling as Nino fumbled with inserting the tokens in the machine. So he yanked his arm out of Alya's grasp again, stomping over to the machines and jamming his tokens in it. Giving Nino a crooked smile, he said, "A bit of friendly competition?"

"Adrien?" Marinette said, her eyes widening.

Adrien picked up a small foam orange basketball. A timer counted down, buzzing when it reached zero. Adrien tossed the ball.

* * *

"It's the city-wide championship, that's why, Mom!" Adrien declared, stomping after his mother as she crossed from one room into the other, looking for her other nude high heel.

"And I said, sweetheart, I will come as soon as I possibly can. It's only a gallery opening. I'll be in and out in an hour. They understand that you're my number one priority," Emma laughed, fastening a hoop in her ear.

"Do you think Father will come?" Adrien asked quickly.

Emma paused, letting out a sigh and walking over to her son, dressed in his uniform already for the game. "I don't know, baby. He's been very busy at work."

"Yeah, I know," Adrien said, looking down all the same.

She lifted his chin. "I'll be there before you're even done with the first quarter. Deal?" she asked, extending her pinkie toward him.

"Deal," he agreed immediately, taking her pinkie in his own.

In the end though, Emma Agreste didn't make it to the second quarter. She didn't make it to the game. While making every green light through town, she encountered a car which didn't want to wait on red. She was two blocks from the school; she hadn't thought to look left and right, only to make it in time to see Adrien play.

He never played on a team again.

* * *

"Great job!" the machine yelled at him as a blinking fifteen appeared with digital confetti from the machine. Next to him, Nino's was blinking with a sixteen.

He'd been beaten. Again. For the third time, actually. His knuckles turned white against the orange foam ball. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Mari. Her hair was up in twin tails. God he loved her hair like that.

"Let's play something else," she said. It wasn't a suggestion.

* * *

"There goes your date," Adrien said as he shot another ball up the skeeball machine, in the outer circle and getting a hundred points.

Marinette looked back, a skeeball in her hand, as Alya yanked Nino over to the pinball area. "Yeah, well, it's probably for the best," she said, wincing slightly. "I think I may have jumped into this whole thing too fast. But you and Alya-"

"It's really nothing," he assured her quickly.

She smiled, laughing a little. "I guess we were both a little in over our heads."

"Yeah," he said, his mouth screwing up in a grin. "I think you're right."

His soul was singing. She didn't like him! She really didn't like him! Okay, he changed his mind. Nino was great. Nino was fantastic. Nino wasn't going to get his Marinette.

"Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you-"

"I don't know," he said, immediately knowing she was talking about the stupid arcade game. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," she said quietly.

"Mari?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you go on a date?"

She looked at him. "You're really going to think it's silly."

"Try me."

"I… I have feelings for someone," she admitted.

His heart picked up its pace. "Yeah? Who?"

"That's the silly part," she said, hugging her arms to herself. They'd both abandoned their games. "It's Plagg."

"Plagg," he repeated dully. "Plagg… the mascot?" _Plagg… me?_

She nodded, her face going red. "Silly, right?"

 _No. No, not silly. No, you have feelings for me. And I have feelings for you. We are meant to be._

"He's just… he's like no one I've ever met before," she continued.

"Really?" Adrien asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "He doesn't remind you of anybody?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

His heart sank. She didn't know. She didn't know it was him. He swallowed hard. For so many years he'd felt like he was invisible to Marinette. So maybe he was.

"You don't even know who he is," Adrien said, his voice cutting sharper than he intended.

"Do I have to?" she laughed.

"How can you have feelings for someone you don't even know?" he argued, staring her down.

"I…" her whole face fell as she looked down.

Guilt hit him like a bus. "Mari… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Forget about it," she said, turning away. "Will you tell Nino I went home? I'm not feeling well."

"Mari!" he said, grabbing her hand in their handshake and putting his thumb inside of their clasped hands.

She pulled away, not reciprocating. "Goodbye, Adrien."

* * *

 **A/N: Holy goodness gracious, I love you people! I just passed 50 followers and I've never had that on a story and so thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea what it means to me and how precious each and every single one of you are, and you keep coming back for more! Also, I'm sorry that baby Adrien had to go through so much this chapter, but he'll get better, pinkie swear! Also, sorry for the late update! Father's Day weekend is a bit hectic in my family. I will do my absolute best to update more this week; it just might be slow going! :D Thanks again!**


	12. Twelve: The Pep Rally

**Chapter Twelve: The Pep Rally**

"L, A… D, Y… B, U… G, S! Ladybugs! L, A… D, Y… B, U… G, S! Ladybugs!" the cheer squad yelled at the packed house of roaring fans.

A day after her disastrous date with Nino and fight with Adrien that ended in her not reciprocating their handshake, the last thing Marinette was feeling was peppy. But Tikki was needed for the annual joint pep rally between her school and Françoise Dupont. The schools used the healthy rivalry as a way of bringing in town support and, hopefully, alumni funding.

"Hello, Earth to loser?" Chloé said waving a hand out.

"What?" Marinette asked in her muffled voice, snapping back to reality and all the noise that came with it.

Chloé tightened her already super high pony with a scoff. "You're the mascot. Now would you actually do something?"

"Oh," she said simply, blinking. She shook out her limbs like she could shake off her heavy mood, trying to push out any feelings she had and replace it with the mind-numbing optimism of a proper mascot.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out in front of the crowd, waving almost frantically. Beneath the mask, she gave her biggest competition smile. She would fake it until she made it, and there was nothing like a little dance down the gym floor to help get her blood flowing and hopefully work the crowd up.

Across the gym, the noise grew as Françoise Dupont arrived and took the court, team, cheerleaders, and Plagg. Mari felt her heart immediately lighten just at the sight of him. Grrr… why had she let Alya and Fu get in her head? This is what it was supposed to feel like, right? Having feelings for someone?

As though he had received the same instruction that she had, he suddenly lurched into action, taking the crowd by storm just has she had moments before. He took it differently than she did, going for a tumble pass that had the crowd on their feet when he finished it.

"Marinette," Ms. Bustier said, suddenly appearing at her elbow. "Er, Tikki."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry it's a bit late notice," the redhead said, suddenly sheepish. "But you had such a fantastic impression last week with Plagg, the schools' principals have asked that you try a routine together tonight. They only just told me. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all!" she said immediately, her heart beating a little faster as she turned to the other side of the gym and saw Plagg looking at her… er, well, his mask was pointed her way anyway. "I'm sure we can whip something up."

"Great!" Bustier beamed. "Well, hop to it. It's show time!"

* * *

"And now, laaaaaadies and gentlemen - you know them, you love them: Tikki the Ladybug and Plagg the Black Cat!"

As Mari crossed the court towards the advancing black cat, her heart started beating even faster. Her palms were sweaty. Her face was flushed. This wasn't the searing heat of the faux fur, mesh, and polyester suit.

When they met in the middle of the court, Plagg swept into a bow. "Why, if it isn't my princess."

Following suit for the act, she curtsied, getting a laugh from the audience. "Princess?"

"Well, sure," he replied, straightening and advancing so that he was just a couple feet from her, their heads nearly touching. "Princess of the court. That is until I show you up with my mad b-ball skills."

On impulse, she reached up on one foot and shoved him away using just her pointer finger on his fluffy pink nose. She then waggled her finger back and forth like she was chiding a house cat, and the audience roared with laughter. "We'll see about that, kitty. I've got some mad skills of my own."

That was true. When Adrien used to play basketball every waking minute he wasn't eating, at school, or at gymnastics, Mari had always been his default partner at the basketball hoop in his driveway. Some wicked competitive games of HORSE over the years had given her a decent hand at trick shots - provided she still remembered them.

From there, everything just kind of fell into place. They kept up the comedy routine for a bit, chasing each other around the court, each taking fake hits or trips or otherwise that would send their respective crowds laughing and cheering, lightening everyone's moods.

Eventually, a basketball player threw them a ball and they got a chance at a mini one-on-one on the court. Plagg hadn't been lying about his skills. It was all Marinette could do to keep up with his trick shots with some of her own. She was sweaty and panting by the end of it, the challenge reminding her how hard it was to play against Adrien. This guy was at least as good as him, maybe even better.

Finally (and thankfully as tired as she was), they did some gymnastics, starting with pretty simple floor length passes but advancing up to more complicated flips and turns. Somewhere in the middle of this, they started working together, doing coordinated tucks and high-fiving in-between tricks, leaving a sense of camaraderie on the floor as they went.

When they finally finished with passes from opposite sides of the gym that led them to the middle to meet once more, the crowd leapt to their feet and applauded so loudly it was hurting Marinette's ears even inside the muffled costume head. She turned toward Plagg, beaming and expecting him to be there, but he was already walking back towards his side.

For the first time, she noticed how his gait was more of a shuffle. His head was tilted down. It was slight, barely even perceptible, but he was… tired? No, that wasn't tired. It was like he was sad.

She frowned, heading back over to her side as the coaches took to center court to take over the pep rally. Mari's eyes followed Plagg as he went to sit back down on the bench, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. To an on-looker, he might appear bored, but she suspected that beneath the mask, his eyes were downcast. But why was he sad?

When he stood to exit the gym for whatever reason, she acted on impulse again, standing and ignoring the glare she got from Chloé as she followed him. The cheerleaders flooded the floor for their own routines as Mari shuffled into a tiny fast walk to follow Plagg.

* * *

As she receded from the loud gym, it suddenly got quiet, and all she could hear was the slight squeak of her sneakers on the floor. The hallway was dark and abandoned; Plagg wasn't in sight. She was beginning to feel like a real idiot when she heard the sound of running water a little ways up, to her right.

She went to investigate the sound and found Plagg there filling up a large water cooler.

"Oh!" she squeaked a bit in surprise. "Uh, hi."

"Hey," he said after he turned toward her.

"That was great out there," she said lamely, jabbing her thumb towards the gym. "The… I mean… you know, our performance."

"Yeah," he said, turning off the spout.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly.

He turned towards her full. "Peachy."

"You know, they say there's two people you shouldn't lie to in life: your mother and people in mascot costumes who aren't here to judge," she responded dryly.

"Touché."

"So?"

"So… there's this girl."

"Oh."

"Oh?" he responded, looking at her a little more fully.

"Oh, nothing," she said quickly, blushing furiously beneath her mask. _Super smooth, Marinette. Why don't you throw yourself at him next?_ "Keep going."

He paused for a moment but seemed to need to talk out what was bothering him more than pursuing her awkward, linguistic interjections. "There's this girl," he said again. "I've known her for years, and it feels like we've been friends even longer."

"You're really close."

"Yeah, but she left school recently."

"Dropped out?" she asked. _Moved to Siberia and dropped her phone out of the airplane on the way?_ she hoped.

"Transferred," he corrected her. "At the beginning of this semester."

A few familiar butterflies stirred up. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" she asked.

"I… yeah," he said, seeming surprised. "How did you know?"

Crap. Crap! "I, uh, small school. We have… English together."

Luckily, he didn't seem too hung up on her patchy excuse as he continued. "Well, we have been pretty close, but I think I may have blown it."

"Because she left?"

"Well… sort of," he said. "It's complicated."

She sensed that that was something he really didn't want to talk about. But beside that, she was over the moon in her mind. Not only did he know who she was, he missed her? It wasn't an admission of them being anything but friends, but she couldn't help to start thinking about their wedding and children's names. "Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll come around. If you and I - er, Marinette - are really friends then you should just talk to her. She isn't somebody who abandons her friends, especially…" she broke off, blushing again. "Um… you know, a friend like you."

"Yeah?" he said, seeming not to notice her discomfort but seemingly pleased by her advice. "You think so?"

"I know so," she said confidently.

"Well, thanks," he said, lugging the cooler on top of a cart.

"By the way, how did you get stuck with water duty?" she asked as he started pushing it back towards the gym.

"Volunteered," he answered. "Didn't want to bring anyone's mood down."

She laughed, and he looked over at her in surprise. ."Trust me, you're actually the one keeping everyone's spirits lifted in there."

"What can I say? We make a great team," he replied.

She could almost feel his smile. Her heart skipped a beat. "We really do, don't we?"

* * *

 **A/N: Holy frick-frack, bad writer! I'm so so so sorry you guys! I so wanted to sit down and write a few chapters! I've been on vacation (shoutout to the great state of Wyoming - absolutely dazzling and beautiful) and am heading on my second leg soon to the great NC, but I'm bound and determined to write some more in the next few days. I don't want to let you lovely people down, _especially_ since I just reached sixty (count 'em, 6-0) followers and thats beyond amazing. You guys are the best; won't let you down again! :)**


	13. Thirteen: Process of Elimination

**Chapter Thirteen: Process of Elimination**

* * *

Adrien found himself the next afternoon standing outside of the Dupain-Cheng's doing his best not to entirely back out of the venture. He'd been standing there for very nearly fifteen minutes alternating between hovering his hand over the door and running that same hand through his hair as he paced the porch, trying to think of what to say.

Tikki's words had given him courage - and more than that, hope - that Marinette could very well forgive him and he hadn't ruined everything forever. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. They'd had fights before certainly, but none to the scale that she wouldn't do their handshake. It seemed a bit silly thinking about it, but it was their thing. It felt like skipping a birthday to not to do their handshake.

He had just resolved (for probably the fourteenth time) to knock on the door when it suddenly opened, revealing Sabine, Mari's tiny mother who smiled wide enough to crinkle her eyes when she saw her daughter's best friend standing there. "Come in, Adrien. She's at the gym with Coach Fu won't be back for another hour or so. I need a taste-tester."

"I, er," he said, rendered speechless for a second. It was always easy to see where Mari had inherited her carefree friendliness. "Thanks," he finally settled on.

He stepped into the Dupain-Cheng's, his second home. As always was the case, two of the pairs of shoes belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, and the other five or six belonged to Mari, all strewn about. The coat hanger was over-loaded with plenty of options of scarves, jackets, mittens, and hats for them to wear when they went out, and he added his own on the pile, kicked off his shoes and shuffling to the kitchen in his socks, following Sabine.

The sweet scents of sugar, fruit, and dough wafted into his nose, immediately calming him some. Sabine had the old, tinny sounds of songs from the forties coming through the speaker in the kitchen, indicating that Tom was out at the bakery on that particular day. When he was home and baking with his wife, it was almost exclusively hits from the eighties that would play.

He'd had plenty of women, either those who dated his father or were close to the family, who tried to take the place of mother in his life. All paled to nothing in comparison to his mother. The couldn't hope to be a fraction of what Emma did. Sabine didn't try to be his mother; she was already Marinette's mother. That still made her his best friend's mother so she had always been a great comfort to him. She was unchanging through the years in her patient love of him as a honorary child, and they both left it at that.

"Sit," she insisted, clearing junk mail from his usual at the counter and taking her place opposite him where she began to slice thin pieces of various pies and tarts she had placed on the counter. She put them uniformly on a plate. "How have you been? Busy?"

"Yes," he answered, grabbing a fork from the utensil holder.

"Marinette said you took up fencing," Sabine said, pushing the plate in front of him and crossing the kitchen.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he said, remembering the lie vaguely from a few weeks ago.

She reached up on her tiptoes and grabbed a glass, her back still to him as she said, "You know, your mother always did say you made the worst liar. I felt she was always overlooking Mari in that regard."

He choked on a bit of pie that led to a large coughing fit.

Sabine laughed. "That bad?"

"I… how?" he asked simply when he was able to abate the coughing.

"I am a mother. We know these things," she replied, reaching for the tea kettle that had been whistling quietly. She poured it into the teapot on hand. She grabbed two mugs and put them on the counter. "I know you'd never discredit your mother by doing anything bad, but I do wonder what it could be that keeps you from telling Marinette."

"You're right. It isn't anything bad," he said. "It's just… it's a secret."

"Say no more," she waved him off, taking a tea bag from the box on the counter and setting it to steep in the tea pot. "You had me at 'it isn't anything bad.' If it really is a secret, I trust you."

He was quiet for a moment as she added honey to both of their mugs after pouring in the tea. "Has Mari talked to you about Friday night?"

Her eyes slid up to his. "Only a little. I suspect her mood the past few days has to do with a boy. Though I'm almost certain that it isn't you nor Nino."

"You're right about that," he mumbled, taking a bite of the green cake. Pistachio. Mari's favorite.

"And you know the boy?"

"Kind of," he said, reflecting on their fight. "She hasn't told me much," he admitted.

And that was true. The boy wasn't him because he wasn't Plagg. He put on the costume, and he felt like a whole other person. Maybe that's why it stung so much that Mari finally noticed him like that. Did he really have to change who he was to win her heart? Was who he was not good enough? He wished he knew what she was thinking.

"It's a shame," Sabine commented, raising the mug to her lips. "When we first heard that Marinette had been accepted, my first instinct was to turn them down."

He paused his fork over another cake piece. "Really?"

"Really," she confirmed. "Marinette had everything she needed right where she was. Excellent academics, close to home, able to work with Coach Fu, and an exceptional best friend. I think in the end what changed my mind was that we all need to be brave and try new opportunities. That, and I could sleep peacefully at night knowing she hadn't lost everything from before."

"What?" he asked, a bit confused.

"She still had it - has it," Sabine explained. "No matter what rough seas you and my daughter cross you always end up together again. Chin up, Adrien. Everything's going to be alright."

* * *

Adrien ended up in the living room watching old Looney Tunes episode after he'd finished taste testing and Sabine shooed him off to start new recipes. He wasn't the biggest fan of Tweety Bird and Sylvester skits… mostly because the older he got he realized that Tweety Bird could be a real jerk.

As he was watching though, Marinette walked in in sweats and a sweatshirt that he knew was covering up her leotard underneath. Even with how cold it was outside, he could tell from her gait that her muscles were still loose as she collapsed on the couch next to him.

In a typical week, they practiced around thirty hours. Mascotting had messed up his regular schedule, bringing him down to around twenty-four to twenty-six hours, behind pace. Mari, by comparison, had taken up a six hour practice on Sundays the past few weeks, probably to compensate for homework. He had forgotten about it in his worry over his conversation with her.

Now, they sat, him waiting for her to say something and her watching Looney Toons. When the episode was finally finished, she turned the TV off, leaving them sitting in silence, the slight sound of the forties coming from the kitchen with the quiet clatter of mixing bowls and baking tins being moved around.

"I know I don't know who's behind that mask," she said finally.

"I'm sorry," he said at the same time.

They looked at each other, the humor that might normally be there at them speaking over each other gone.

"I'm sorry," Adrien said again quickly, needing to get his word in first. "I may be the biggest idiot in the world. I'm your friend, and you needed my support."

"Yeah," she said simply. "I did. But you're right. I was being unfair to Nino."

She… what? It dawned on him that she would've had to put together why he was mad. And she arrived at the fact that it was because she wasn't giving Nino a shot? He almost laughed. The fact that she realized she didn't belong with him had been the best part about that date.

"That _was_ what made you so mad, right?"

"It doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that I let you down."

She crinkled her nose, the beginnings of a smile gracing her lips. "No you didn't. You've never let me down."

The relief he felt as she said that was unmatched for any other moment in his life. "So we're good?"

"We're good," she confirmed, standing and tugging on his hand. "Now come on, I need your hand with a pet project."

"Why does this sound like the beginning of one of your schemes?"

"Because it is, silly."

* * *

Adrien flopped down on Marinette's bed while she was taking a shower. She had glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to her ceiling. He could remember when they were younger and had sleepovers, after Sabine had sent them to bed, they'd make up constellations from them. Then Mari would insist that they tell stories to go with the constellations, and they'd stay up for hours.

They hadn't had a sleepover in five years. It gets pretty awkward to have a sleepover with the girl-you-love-who's-oblivious-to-you. Besides that, into their teen years, he wasn't sure how much Tom would appreciate a boy in Mari's bed, no matter how much the whole world had determined them to be best friends.

When she came in afterward in pajamas though it was late afternoon, her dark hair was damp, curling just slightly towards the end it what would inevitably become what she called "unmanageable floof" and he called adorable. She let out a big yawn as she walked over to her bed, collapsing right next to him.

"I'm exhausted," she proclaimed.

"Too exhausted to tell me your scheme?" he asked playfully, knowing what her response would be.

As expected, she immediately pushed up. "Never that!" she said decidedly, swiveling out of bed for a moment and padding over to her bookshelf. She ran her finger over the titles until she pulled out a slim volume that turned out to be the Françoise Dupont yearbook from the previous year.

Adrien wrinkled his nose. "How many times do I have to tell you, I was _not_ sneezing in that picture! Besides nobody looks flattering in a school picture, and I'm no model."

She laughed. "Oh come on, you aren't the worst person to look at," she argued. "But that's not what we're looking at this for."

He was hung up on not being the worst person to look at, but nonetheless he replied, "What are we looking for?"

"Plagg," she answered.

His heart dropped then began beating very rapidly. "Oh?"

She looked at him apprehensively. "Is that okay? I know it's not your favorite topic."

 _You think?_ He practically screamed in his head. If she found out he was Plagg, she might not ever talk to him again. Let alone the fact that he didn't tell her it was him this whole time, but after she said she had feelings for him? Ugh! This whole thing was so convoluted it didn't make any sense!

Still, if there was any good way of making sure Mari didn't suspect him as Plagg, it was helping in the investigation, right?

"For you, anything," he grimaced slightly. "But I'll probably complain the whole way," he added.

She poked him in the arm. "Aren't you a bit old to be a sore loser?"

"Older than you," he replied, now grinning widely. If there was any proof that he was forgiven, it was in those words.

"Okay," she said, uncapping a Sharpie and hovering over their class page. "Well, we know it isn't Ivan… and we can eliminate all of the basketball players."

"What about me?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could imagine.

"Guilty until proven innocent," she said with her pouty lips.

He worried that his gulp was visible, and he was thinking of any excuse under the sun when she laughed. "I'm just kidding," she said, drawing a fat 'X' over his face. He let out his breath slowly so she didn't hear the sigh of relief.

* * *

It was late enough when Marinette couldn't decide between Max (prick) and Nathanael (bigger prick) that Adrien was invited for dinner. Max dropped basketball that semester to 'focus on his studies,' but could it just be a cover? And Nathanael was nowhere to be found the last two games, out with an 'injury.' She discussed it all the way down to the kitchen, and he followed behind her, forcing himself not to roll his eyes.

Maybe he should just tell her. That'd be easier, right?

 _Mari, it's me. I'm Plagg. I'm the guy that you like,_ he thought. And then she would throw herself in his arms and kiss him and they'd get happily ever after?

Or maybe her face would fall. Maybe she'd get that ugly look on her face where she screwed up her lips and wrinkled her brow because somebody had hurt her. Maybe she'd throw him out. Maybe she'd laugh at him. Maybe she would never speak to him again.

His heart ached as he poked at the spaghetti on his plate absently. He couldn't tell her. It was for both of their goods. If he told her, there's no saying what would happen.

More than that, she was happy.

He watched her as she talked with her parents, animated and smiling, twirling her spaghetti. She even did that smile she did when she thought no one was watching where just one side of her pink lips pulled up and a dimple formed in her cheek, making her face adorably asymmetric for a moment. She was livened by a crush, an idea of Plagg - a two-dimensional court hero. If he revealed who he was, he was revealing himself - ordinary and very human. Not Plagg. Just Adrien.

He set his lips in a thin line as determination threaded through him. She would have that. She needed that. For her, he would be Plagg and Adrien, two separate support systems, there for Mari.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey loves, it's been a great and relaxing week (shoutout to the NC beach), and I've just been super slow and catching up on reading instead of focusing on writing, but I'm back. Hoping to get a couple more chaps out in the next few days. If not, blame the fact that I have to get back to work :( Thanks for all the reviews; they mean the world! And also thanks for sticking with me! We're nearly there - I have six more chapters planned right now until the end so expect the heat to turn up on Chloé's bitchiness and Adrien's awko-adorableness.**


	14. Fourteen: Blackmail

**Chapter Fourteen: Blackmail**

* * *

"MIRACULOUS MASCOT: Everyone's _gaga_ for our new mascot, who's bringing more alumni and students to Ladybug games than ever before. At our annual pep rally with record-breaking attendance, Tikki stole our hearts with an impromptu routine. With so much pep in her step, we can only ask, who _is_ Tikki? And where did she come from?"

The rest of the article on the front page of the school paper was hidden under the folder of the guy in front of Marinette in Poetry so she couldn't read the rest. Still, reading it made a smile grow on her face as she considered it. She felt mysterious and intriguing and daring… of course, she wasn't any of those things. Tikki was. But still.

She sighed, tapping her pencil thoughtfully against her teeth and bobbing her leg as she stared at the whiteboard, not bothering to try and absorb the lesson. Monday was dragging on too long, and all she wanted was to be on the walk to gymnastics with Adrien after school.

Nino had gotten a little weird since their disaster of a first date, which was understandable. It also meant she was back to square one in the friends department, and while everyone loved Tikki, nobody was beating down the door to hang with Marinette. Adrien was always there, and since they'd made up that weekend, things had been just as easy as they were before.

She almost missed the bell ringing while she was lost in thought. It wasn't until a person stood in front of her that her eyes flickered up to find Chloé Bourgeois standing there with what could only be described as a triumphant smirk.

"Hey, mascot."

Marinette's eyes darted over to the door. They were the only ones in the room. She had one class left to make it through, and she didn't have the energy to deal with whatever it is Chloé was deciding to give her hell over. Finally deciding she couldn't make a run for it, she bit back a sigh and glared back.

"What do you want?"

"Awesome article, right?" Chloé said, pulling the paper out quickly from under her things so they toppled to the floor as she held it up. "My _favorite_ part is where they mention that the loser in the suit is you. Oh wait," she said, scrunching up her brow in mock concern. "That wasn't in there."

"What do you want, Chloé?" she asked again.

"Here's the deal, freak," she replied, crossing her arms. "You're going to do exactly what I tell you, or I'm going to tell the whole school that you're Tikki."

Mari felt her heart drop a little. "You can't," she said immediately. "Ms. Bustier won't allow it."

"Ms. Bustier," she shot back. "Won't do anything unless she wants Daddy and the school board to get involved. She has her teacher evaluation coming up."

Marinette clenched her jaw. "Well so what? Who cares if everyone knows I'm Tikki?"

Chloé smiled meanly. "You do. Everyone - for some reason - _loves_ Tikki. They worship her. But after they find out that it's _you_ ," she laughed. "Who would ever love Marinette Dupain-Lame?"

Mari bit her lip. Stupid. Stupid! Chloé was actually getting to her. As much as she'd like to admit otherwise, it felt good to be loved by the school - even if she had to put on a ridiculous red suit to do it. And she didn't want to lose it.

"What do you want?" she asked for a third time.

Chloé's smile grew again. "Like you have to ask? I want Adrien."

* * *

"Oops! Didn't see you there!" a basketball player said with an acid smile as Marinette's books went toppling to the ground.

The problem was that he did. He had plenty of time to see her coming and his hand came down so fast and vindictively, so that her hardcover Chemistry textbook fell on her foot hard, making her yelp. She bit her lip hard, stooping over to pick up her books as she scowled. When she straightened up, she walked down the hall quickly, avoiding eye contact.

In the day since she refused to give Chloé the one thing she wanted and the one thing she most definitely couldn't have, the cheerleader made good on making her life a living hell. At this point, it would be kinder to have told everyone her secret. Including the book incident, she'd also found milk in her shoes after gym, had her hair yanked walking down the hallway, and spent all of Calculus getting stabbed with varying degrees of intensity in the back with a pencil.

Marinette stopped at her locker, letting her shoulders sag and sighing. Suddenly, someone was beside her. She snapped up, jumping back a step. "Geez, Juleka, you almost gave me a heart attack," she complained.

"Sorry," the girl half whispered in her quiet voice.

"No, I'm sorry," Mari said, shaking her head. "I've just been on-edge."

"The blackmail," Juleka said knowingly.

"How did you…? No, never mind, I'm not going to question it," she sighed.

"Have you gone to the faculty?"

Marinette shook her head.

Juleka let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Good?"

"It would only get worse if you tried. Chloé is her father's little angel. She can do no wrong. Anyone accusing her of something would face serious consequences. If you want to stay here, you have to give in to her."

"Give in?"

"Give her what she wants. Then all of this will stop," she urged Marinette. "No more threats on revealing you, and no more bullying."

"I… I can't," she replied, slumping into her locker and ignoring the warning bell.

"Why not?"

"She wants Adrien."

Juleka wrinkled up her nose. "Adrien? Your friend?"

"Best friend," she corrected her. "And yeah, she wants a date with him."

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so'?"

"Send him on the date," Juleka said, as though this was obvious.

"I can't!" she said immediately.

"Why not?"

 _Because he's Adrien? Because he's gawky and awkward? Because incredibly sweet and kind? Because he's a dork, but he's my dork? Because he's my best friend? Because I'm not going to give someone like that to someone like her?_

"I'm stubborn," she said finally. "I'm not going to let her win this time. I'm sick of her always getting her way."

Juleka shook her head as the late bell rang. She started backing away. "Marinette… it's only going to get worse."

She locked her jaw, slamming her locker shut. "Bring it on."

* * *

"Get out of my school, scholarship girl!" a cheerleader jeered at her as she passed Marinette in the library.

She sighed, taking a bite out of her apple. She was exhausted. She'd been doxxed the night before on the school network and had then gotten anonymous texts and messages all night saying things nastier than what the cheerleader had to offer. Even after she turned off her phone, her computer started lighting up. After someone had the nerve to call her home phone, she had to leave the phone off the cradle so the line was occupied. It had been two or three in the morning before she was finally able to lay down to sleep.

"What was that about?" Nino asked, dropping down beside her.

"Just equipment manager hazing, you know," she said, the lie rolling off of her tongue a little too easily.

"If you say so," he said, shifting his bag on his shoulder. "Can we, like, talk?"

Her heart dropped a little. "If this is about the other night-"

"Kind of," he cut in, sitting down next to her. "But not in the way you think."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Look, I feel weird about sort of ditching you to hang with Alya," he started. "I don't want you to think I meant anything by it."

"What?" she asked with a slight laugh. "Nino, no. I was worried you were mad at me for ditching _you_."

He managed to smile. "We messed that up, right?"

"I really like you, Nino," she replied. "Just… not like that. Actually, I kind of like someone else, but the universe and everyone told me I had to…" she trailed off, seeing the confusion on his face. "It's this whole thing, but I shouldn't have said yes. I like it better when we're friends."

"Me too," he agreed. "And I kind of… well…"

She noticed for the first time that he was blushing. "You…?"

"Um, it's nothing. It's just, like, Alya. She's a cool girl."

Marinette felt a small smile grow on the corners of her lips. "Go for it."

"What?"

"Ask her on a real date," Marinette suggested standing and smoothing her clothes down.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Class," she said, adjusting her bag. "I want to beat the crowds, you know," she added lamely.

"Hey, Marinette?" he asked as she started to walk away.

"Yeah?"

"You really good?" he asked.

For a moment, she really was tempted to tell him. But to what end? This was her battle. This was between her and Chloé, and the less everyone else had to get involved the better.

"I will be," she answered, walking away before he could ask what she meant.

* * *

 **A/N: Heeeeeey, so funny story. I totally thought I uploaded this Saturday night... Sorry peeps. That's what too little sleep will do to you. Anyway, I realize that this chapter was mean so I'm busy typing away. Love ya and stuff.**


	15. Fifteen: The Anniversary

**A/N: Hey-o guys, sorry to change the format on you and put the note at the beginning. Just wanted to let you know the rating officially changed to T for some language at the end of this chap (no spoilers). Anyway, I know this was an anticipated chapter so I'll stop blabbing. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen: The Anniversary**

Adrien was worried on Monday. By Tuesday, he was beside himself. She wasn't talking nearly as much on their walks with each other. She looked tired, and he was catching her looking over her shoulder. But every time that he asked her what was wrong, she plastered her face with a fake smile and brushed him off with an excuse about a long day or too much homework. He should have been worried about midterms coming and the fact that playoffs started that Saturday, he was obsessed with just why Mari was stonewalling him.

But Wednesday, even Mari couldn't occupy his thoughts for very long. He dragged through the day unable to pay attention. He drifted through Mendeleev's pop quiz and Haprèle's dodgeball game. He skipped lunch to focus on finishing his homework, and he only finished half of it. He felt like he was on auto-pilot - ghosting through the day until the final bell rang.

Coach Haprèle hadn't asked if he'd be at practice - the teachers were familiar with his ritual on that day after school. After he grabbed his bag, he drifted through hallways, sparing a half wave at Alya as he left the school and walked down the street.

As he shuffled up the street, he had a thought about Mari. They used to make this walk together, but he didn't know if she would even remember. But when he turned the corner, he found her already standing there by the florist, a bouquet of lilies in her hand.

She walked up to him. "They had them ready so I picked them up. I'm… sorry," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear after she handed him the flowers.

"Don't be," he answered. "I didn't think you'd-"

"I'd never miss this," she interrupted him, almost immediately blushing. "I… it's important."

He smiled a little. "Yeah. Thanks."

They started walking along in silence for a few moments. The heavy cloud that had been hanging over Marinette all week was still there, but it was displaced slightly by what they both knew about that day. There was no one else that he'd rather take this walk with - and she had never failed to take it with him.

"How are you?" he finally asked, as they turned to the quieter part of the north side of town.

"Fine," she answered, falsely.

He pursed his lips. He didn't want to get into another fight with her that would drive her away, but there was something very clearly wrong with her. "Are you sure?"

"How are you?" she asked, deflecting the question.

"Fine," he answered back, mocking her.

She shot him a withering glance. "Don't give me that. You know you get sad this time of the year."

"I get contemplative," Adrien corrected her, shifting his bag up further on his shoulder. "There's so much that can happen in a year."

They paused outside of the wrought iron gates, a sort of twisting, morbid reminder of what someone would find within them. He took a shaky breath, and Marinette grabbed his free arm, lacing her own through it.

"Okay?" she murmured, staring up at him with her big blue eyes. It was a brittle, cold day, one that reminded everyone winter was still lingering. He could see every breath they were exhaling, and the tip of her nose was turning bright red. On another day, he'd be distracted by the beauty of the moment they were in. Today though, the sight of her was just comfort.

He nodded, and she reached forward with her other mittened hand to pull open the creaking gate so that they could enter.

* * *

Emma Agreste rested peacefully on a plot of land atop the hill of the cemetery. It afforded privacy for mourning, a quality that Gabriel valued when he chose the spot. When Adrien and Marinette reached the top, he was suddenly aware for the first time in days. He was completely focused on the reflective granite headstone that marked his mother.

He laid the lilies carefully in front of the stone. It was situated in a way that it covered up her death date - five years ago this very day. It was too cold to sit, but he did anyway, on the dirt and grass and week-old slushy snow. Marinette sat down right next to him. She sat there in total silence with him, but he could feel her eyes on him. It killed him that even as upset as she was, she still had room to be worried for him.

"I miss her," he said finally.

"I know."

"I wish the world would stop telling me to move on."

"I know."

"She's my mother. She… she was going for me that day because she loved me, and she was always going to be there for me, and now…"

"I know."

"Five years, Mari. Almost a third of my life she's been gone."

She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "I know."

He blinked away the tiny tears that were forming in his eyes. "She'd know just what to tell me right now."

Mari smiled. "She always knew just what to say. Do you remember that day in the rain when Lila said I shouldn't stomp in puddles in my boots because it made me a baby? I came back to your house upset, and Emma said-"

"'Growing up is never an excuse to stop playing in the rain,'" he quoted. "Then she went out with us to splash around until she could make you laugh."

Mari nodded. They fell quiet for a few moments.

"I wish I knew what to say right now," he said suddenly, making her jump slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I wish I knew how to get you to tell me what's wrong."

"Adrien-"

"You've been upset since Monday," he said flatly, not taking his eyes off his mother's headstone. "More than upset. Broken. What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," she said gently, nudging him. "None of that matters here. Not now. Only she does," she added, nodding toward the grave.

"You think she'd ever forgive me if I didn't protect you?" he asked, turning to stare at her intently. Her eyes widened in surprise. "You were always the strong one. You looked out for me. You protected me. After she was gone, you were my only thing to cling to and still feel like there was something beyond the crushing sadness. If I didn't do the same thing for you in your time of need, she would _never_ forgive me, Mari. So please… _please_ tell me what happened? Who hurt you?"

She was stunned silent for a few moments, and he was afraid he overstepped. Slowly though, her large blue eyes welled with tears until one perfect, crystalline drop fell down her cheek, leaving a shining streak on her red cheek. A straw to break the camel's back, suddenly tears were streaming down her cheeks as she leaned into him. He unfolded the arms he had been using to hug his knees to his chest in order to draw them around her, straightening his leg so he could fit her snugly to his chest under his chest.

When she came up for air, she told him everything. Chloé. Blackmail for some secret. The bullying. The doxxing. The threats. All of it in effort to go on a date with him. Every word stabbed him in the chest like a blade of ice and melted into a slow boiling fury. He held her tighter and tighter. When she finally reached the end, she pulled out of his arms with a sniffle, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said thickly, her blue irises standing out starkly from her now bloodshot eyes. "It isn't your problem. It's just… I haven't had anyone to tell. It's hard."

"You idiot," he replied, making her meet his eyes again. "Of course this is my problem. I'm the reason this is happening to you. You want to protect my feelings without thinking of your own well-being."

Mari shook her head. "I couldn't wish her on my worst enemy, how could I give her someone as special as you?"

The words went straight to his heart, sending a flush of fresh blood up to his cheeks. Shaking it off, he continued, "I'm stronger than you give me credit for. I can take care of myself."

"Adrien-"

"Set up the date," he said flatly, his tone challenging her to contradict. "Tomorrow. Email her tonight so this stops. It's my turn to be the brave one."

Her lip wobbled as more tears threatened to fall. "Emma would be proud of you, you know that?" she asked softly.

He drew his arm around her, leaning his head against the top of hers as he looked at the grave again. "I know," he said quietly.

* * *

Adrien walked into the café at seven o'clock on the nose the next evening. He swept past the maître d' who tried to take his coat, immediately able to locate the table where the blonde cheerleader already sat. She immediately perked up when she saw him.

He strode up to the table brusquely, doing his best Gabriel Agreste cool stare at her as he stopped.

"Adrihoney!" she exclaimed. "Don't you look nice? Wasn't Marinette, like, so nice to set us up? I mean-"

"Stop," he said, cutting her off. "My name is Adrien. Not Adrihoney. Just Adrien, and that is all you will ever call me."

Her face fell into a sneer. "What-?"

"Shut up," he said, interrupting her again with a glare. "It's my turn to talk. You spent three days torturing the sweetest person I have ever known so you could get this date. You think you could ever start a relationship with me by walking on the face of the most important person in my life?"

"I-"

"It's still my turn," he said in a steely voice, his frown getting deeper. "I don't know who hurt you or entitled you or ever made you think hurting another human being like that was acceptable, but let me be the one to stop the cycle. From this day on, you will leave Marinette alone. If I get word that you even _look_ at her, I won't rest until you're ruined. You think you're the only person who knows how to doxx? How to blackmail? I will find every piece of dirt that exists on you, Chloé Bourgeois, and I will let the whole world know what a vile person you really are. I will be so relentless, so thorough, and so unmerciful, you'll have to leave the country or face the same crippling humiliation you've put on an entirely innocent girl. This is the only time I'll issue this warning. Back. Off. Or your life as you know it ends today."

"What the hell?" Chloé said, finally managing to get a word in edgewise. "This is a date!"

At this, his face still in a flat and unforgiving glare. "You are the last person on earth I could ever think to go on a date with."

WIth that, he straightened and turned, beginning to stride away from the table.

Flustered, the cheerleader stood, caring very little for the scene she was making when she yelled, "Who do you think you are?!"

He stopped, turning briefly to speak in the dead quiet of the restaurant. "I'm the guy who's in love with Marinette, you bitch."


	16. Sixteen: I am Tikki

**Chapter Sixteen:** _ **I**_ **am Tikki**

* * *

Adrien had something to do for fencing on Friday morning… or at least, that's what he said. Inside, Marinette was dreading whatever he had to say about the… _date._ God, she shuddered just to think about it. Either the date went horribly and her torment continued or the date went fantastically and it stopped.

She would gladly live the next hundred years with Chloé's torment if it meant that date went abominably.

She knew what he said made sense on the surface. The simple solution was for him to go on this date so the blackmail would end. There was just one problem: Chloé won. If that date went well, Chloé got Adrien. That meant that Adrien would spend so much more time with her. As much as Chloé hated her, it wouldn't be long before she convinced her boyfriend that she wasn't worth the time. Then Marinette would lose Adrien.

As she walked to school alone, she reflected on how silly she was being. There would come a day when Adrien went on dates and… had a girlfriend. He couldn't just be Marinette's forever. Er, he wasn't hers to begin with! It's just… she'd gotten so used to being Adrien's favorite girl, she couldn't imagine when there would be someone else.

Ridiculous.

She would be in a relationship, too, one day. Her face heated up as her thoughts inevitably drifted to Plagg. She might not always have a lot of time for Adrien so why should she have a double standard?

The whole thing left her stomach turning by the time she walked into school, head down, ready to barrel her way to class.

"Marinette!"

Her whole body tightened as she swiveled slowly towards the source of the voice, but she sagged in relief when she saw that it was just the secretary, looking excited.

"Fantastic news!" she said. "The school board approved the proposal last night, and agreed to coach. The school officially has a gymnastics team! She says tryouts can be as early as next Monday, if you're available."

"It is?"

"Yes! It's all thanks to you, young lady."

"Wait, if I'm available?" she repeated.

The secretary nodded. "You were so integral to this entire thing, Ms. Bustier wants you front and center on team decisions. Competition season is only halfway through - she thinks you'll be able to get the team in shape for a few matches this year."

"This year?"

The secretary laughed. "I know, it's a bit of a shock. But congratulations!"

With that, she turned and walked back into the office, leaving a dumbstruck Marinette standing in the middle of the hallway, people streaming in around her to get to first period. It wasn't until the warning bell rang that she finally shuffled along, her mind flooded with too much possibility.

* * *

She munched on her apple thoughtfully, having a peaceful lunch for the first time all week in the secluded part of the library. There had been no taunts, no teasing, no threats… nothing. As though it was a switch that could be flipped in them, Chloé's network went from malicious to avoidant.

Chloé herself hadn't said a word to Marinette. She hadn't even looked at her. It was as though she was finally - mercifully - invisible to the girl. Still, it felt like the eye of the hurricane, and she was waiting for the other side of the storm to emerge. Chloé's knowledge of her identity as Tikki was weighing over her. At any time, the switch could flip again. Her life could be misery.

There was a way out though.

There was a gymnastics team now. The only reason that she became Tikki was to practice her gymnastics. Her young adult life was devoted to the practice of becoming a champion. Actually practicing her routines instead of running around entertaining the masses would go a long way.

With no more being Tikki, Chloé would have no ammunition against her. She could get back to her normal life. She could even focus on rallying the fight against the grip that Chloé had on this school.

Most importantly, Adrien wouldn't have to have anything to do with her. He could go back to just being her best friend and not having to be some sacrifice on the altar of Chloé. Maybe things could feel normal again to them.

"Yo," a voice said above her.

"Hi," she said, looking up and smiling slightly as Nino settled beside her. "Haven't seen you in awhile, stranger."

"Yeah, Coach has been riding us about extra practice, but I skipped today. It seemed like someone else needed me more," he said pointedly, looking at her. "I know everything."

"Everything?"

"Every bit of it, _Tikki_ ," he said, digging out his sandwich as she choked on a bit of fruit.

"Who told you?" she asked when she stopped coughing.

"Juleka," he answered. "She thought you needed a teammate who was actually on the court, but honestly, I was totally disappointed in myself for not seeing it before. I mean, equipment manager?"

She sighed. "Yeah, well, it was the best Ms. Bustier could come up with."

His face got more somber. "I'm totally sorry, Marinette. You needed me this week with all of Chloé's henchmen on the offensive, and I let you down."

She shook her head as she said, "Of course you didn't. Nobody knew. Besides, it was my battle."

"Geez, Marinette," he said, leaning his head against the bookcase. "You can be a real idiot sometimes."

She scoffed, looking at him in surprise.

"It's okay to accept help, you know. You've got friends - me, Juleka, Alya… and especially Adrien. You don't have to do this all on your own, you know? We're here. We want to help you."

She blinked at him. "I know that. Of course I know that."

"So why don't you ever, like, accept help?"

Marinette screwed up her mouth a little, looking down. "I've always had this feeling in me like I'm invincible. Like if I really put my mind to something, it would always be achievable. It's hard work, but it's something I have to do on my own."

He rolled his eyes, smiling at her. "You work, like, so hard, but you gotta take a load off, sometimes, you know? Have fun. Be young. And rely on your friends. I promise if you trust us, we won't let you down."

She thought about this for a moment. Of course she trusted her friends. How couldn't she? But… the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how many times she took things into her own hands. Because… because why? She didn't want to be a burden? Because she couldn't rely on them? Or was it just way that she had always done things?

"Hey, Nino?" she said tentatively. "I have… a problem."

"Yeah?"

"The gymnastics team. I got approved, but it's pretty much that or Tikki. I know it could help with this whole Chloé situation if I could just do the team, and -"

"Don't quit," he said. "Don't stop being Tikki."

"What?"

"You're asking my advice, right?" After she nodded, he continued, "Be Tikki. You are, like, totally Tikki. You bring it to life. Everyone totally adores you, and it makes you happy, right?"

"Well… yeah."

"Plus, you have to admit it's a lot of fun."

"It is," she said slowly. "But what about gymnastics? It's my dream to make the national team."

He laughed. "Marinette, you totally have time for that, too. You wouldn't let a little thing like being a school mascot distract you from your dream, but you gotta loosen up a little and freestyle it."

She smiled. "You really think everyone likes me?"

He rolled his eyes again. "I'm, like, captain of the basketball team, but when people talk to me about tonight, it's all 'what do you think Tikki's going to do?' and 'I hope she really nails it again tonight.' You're the star of the show - totally unstoppable."

His words filled her with warmth and confidence. Could she really do it? Embrace Marinette the champion and Marinette the mascot? She could almost hear Adrien mocking her: _Well, you said you were going to do something unbelievable today, right?_

There was just one teeny-tiny obstacle to deal with first, and she was done tiptoeing around it. She stood, crumpling up her lunch bag as she looked down at Nino. "Totally unstoppable, huh? Let's put that to the test."

* * *

"Hey, Bourgeois," Marinette called across the locker room as she entered later that afternoon as the cheerleaders were getting ready for the game.

As ready as she was to face down Chloé, she also needed to do it in a way that didn't get her detention for making a scene. So she waited until they were getting ready for the game to battle her demon.

She walked up to her filled with a kind of fierce confidence she hadn't felt in weeks. "We need to talk."

Chloé looked up from her lip gloss application to glare at her. "I don't think we do."

"Well fine then. I guess you'll just have to listen."

The cheerleader rolled her eyes.

"You're a bully, Chloé Bourgeois," Marinette said. "And you aren't going to scare me anymore."

Chloé scoffed. "Puh-lease, Marinette. Don't blame me for your loser-tude; that's all on you."

"The only one around here that needs an attitude adjustment is _you_ , Chloé, because I have always been unapologetically me, and it's never come at the cost of putting someone down just because of who they are."

"You don't even know what you're talking about."

"No, I really really do this time," Marinette replied frostily. "You're a mean girl, Chloé, and I'm done with it. You caught me at a time when I wasn't strong enough to fight you, but I'm not alone anymore. If you want a war, I'll give you one."

"Oh, honey, you don't want to go to war with me."

"Try me," Marinette replied, jutting her chin out. "And stay the hell away from Adrien while you're at it."

Chloé scoffed again. "That nerd? As if I'd waste any time on him."

At once, Marinette's heart lifted. There wasn't anything between them! "Don't you dare insult him."

"Just stay out of my way, Dupain-Lame."

Marinette planted her hands on her hips. "From now I'll only be in your way. And my name is Dupain-Chengy, Chloé. You do best not to forget it. You'll be bragging about knowing me one day."

"Ladies!" Ms. Bustier said, suddenly coming in the locker room. "Finish up! It's show time!"

Marinette managed one last glare at Chloé before she walked away, and the look she found in the cheerleader's eyes sent a shiver down her spine. It was enough to make her confidence waver slightly, but she steeled herself. She was done being Marinette the mouse. Now, for better or worse, she was Marinette… and she was also Tikki.

It was time for the world to see.


	17. Seventeen: Unmasked

**Chapter Seventeen: Unmasked**

* * *

The longest Adrien had ever gone without seeing Marinette happened when they were ten-years-old. During that summer, for one phenomenally long week, Marinette went away to _summer camp._ It was seven days of girls-only canoeing, campfires, and hiking through the foothills of God-knows-where and absolutely torturous boredom for Adrien.

She came back so happy and bouncy, it left him sad and insecure that she even missed him. But she hadn't even been out of the car for thirty seconds when they pulled up to her house from her return when she was knocking insistently on the Agrestes' door. He answered because - of course - he'd been watching from the window.

"Adrien!" she said, jumping into his arms and quickly banishing all of his negative feelings.

He closed his arms around her tightly, squeezing a week's worth of affection in the one embrace. "Mari!"

"Here," she said, pushing him away long enough to thrust her closed fist out at him expectantly.

"Uh, fist bump?" he guessed.

"No," she giggled. "Hold out your hand."

So he did, leaving his open palm extended as she dropped a braided thread contraption in his hand in so many shades of red and green it looked like Christmas vomit. He knew what it represented though. It was their favorite colors, intertwining over and over again so entirely you could separate a single part of it without taking the other color with it.

"It's a friendship bracelet! Do you like it?" Mari asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"I love it! You made this?"

"Yup, with my own two hands," she said, wiggling her fingers for emphasis before pointing at her own identical bracelet on her wrist and continuing, "Look! I have one, too!"

"Cool! Like blood brothers! Only, you know, without the blood."

She laughed. "You're silly. Here, let me put it on."

As she slipped it on his wrist he said, "I'll never take this off."

She laughed. "You can't promise that. You never know what might happen."

It was one of the rare times he disagreed with her. He didn't know what might happen, but he could promise that. As long as they were friends, he'd never take it off. You could be as sure of that as the sun rising in the east.

* * *

Adrien fiddled with his worn and fading bracelet on Friday morning as he sat in the gymnasium. Marinette's had broken off one day, and they hadn't been able to find it, but true to his word, he had never taken his off and it remained in one piece.

The basketball team was having a rigorous practice in preparation for the playoffs that started that night. Adrien was there because… well, he wasn't actually sure why he was there. It could've been morale or superstition or whatever new reason Haprèle had for his presence.

Not that any of that really mattered. His mind was focused on Mari and whether or not his threat to Chloé had worked. As impressive as his words may have sounded, he was more bark than bite. If Chloé chose to ignore him, he didn't know how he would follow through on what he promised. But for Mari's sake he would try.

He leaned forward, placing an elbow on his knee so he could put his head in his hand as he stared vacantly forward, his mind drifting again. It wasn't until the coach sat down next to him that he even realized the morning practice was over and they were alone in the gymnasium.

"Head in the clouds, Agreste?"

"No, sir," he answered immediately.

"Good. I need you there in excellent form this evening. A lot of expectations are resting on your shoulders."

"Sir?"

Haprèle clapped him on the back. "You've done the uniform proud. Everyone loves Plagg. Everyone depends on him. It isn't an easy illusion to maintain, I know. But you've done it. So stay sharp."

With that subpar pep talk, the coach stood and took his leave. The early bell sounded, letting Adrien know he had ten minutes to make it to class. In a dreamlike haze, he stood and walked away, furiously twisting at the bracelet.

* * *

He was screwed for the Chemistry midterm, and he wasn't helping his chances by not paying attention during the review session. At that point in the day though, Adrien was angry. In fact, he was furious.

The source of the fury came in large part from the jealous he felt for himself - er, rather for Plagg. The praise for his alter ego should have made him happy, but instead it just left him feeling overshadowed.

How many years had he walked these halls without much fanfare, but when he donned a costume and danced a bit, he became some sensation? His classmates preferred Plagg. Coach preferred Plagg. Even Marinette preferred Plagg.

He felt a small pang in his heart. He could live with not being popular, but for Marinette to only open her eyes when his identity was concealed… the irony was too much. She was absolutely the person who knew him the best in the entire world - how could she miss this?

Was Plagg better than he was? Was he greater? Was just plain Adrien not enough for anyone anymore?

He sighed, putting his head in his hand and staring outside the window where the flat grey sky was slowing growing darker, threatening to open up.

* * *

"Let's go, let's go, L-E-T-S-G-O!" the Françoise Dupont cheerleaders yelled at the crowd as Adrien in costume sat on the floor stretching, waiting for his turn to take the court after the basketball players warmed up.

The Ladybug basketball team and cheerleaders were already on the court, but he found himself searching for Tikki and not finding her in the mix. He frowned, wondering if she was sick. He liked her; she was nice and confident. The night was going to be a great deal lonelier without her company.

"Scoot over a bit, would you?" a muffled voice said above him.

He looked up to find the friendly animated face of Tikki peering down at him, and he felt his face lighting up as he complied. "Didn't see you, princess."

"Yeah, well, I'm a master of stealth," she shrugged, dropping down beside him and stretching out her body. "The bright red mask is perfect camouflage."

He laughed. "You're a regular chameleon."

"How's it going? Hopefully a little better than the last time we left."

He sighed. "Not exactly. But the crowd demands-"

"And we deliver," she finished for him. "Anything to talk about?"

He almost waved her off, but he stopped. She might have very well been the only one who could understand what he was going through. "You ever feel like all these people like the costume more than the person wearing it?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Like you've been here all along, but you're only special when you're wearing this getup?"

"Exactly," he said, relieved that she understood.

"Well yeah," she said. "It sucks that they can't know that you are you in all that awesomeness, but you know… Plagg wouldn't be who he is without you. You bring the costume to life. You _are_ Plagg. So there's no real use in getting jealous because anyone of those people would prefer that costume with you in it, and no one else."

She said her words so lightly, but each one held weight with him. The idea that even one person could see Adrien and Plagg at the same time was a powerful one for him, and he felt an unexpected surge of warmth for his friend.

Friend? Yeah, friend, he thought with a smile. Tikki had been a good friend. On reflex, he reached out and grabbed her hand, er, paw and squeezed it. "Thanks," he said in a low voice.

"No problem!" she fairly squeaked. "I mean… it's… I better get out there," she stammered standing and striding out on the court.

He laughed and followed her as the basketball teams left and their routine got started.

* * *

"Yo, mascot," a voice said above he and Tikki as they rested at halftime.

If Adrien's cat ears had been real, they would have flattened as he looked up to find Chloé standing there with her hands on her hips. Part of him wanted to stand up and tell her off again, but next to him, Tikki stiffened and replied, "Yeah?"

"We need you for the halftime routine. If you can do a standing back tuck, that is," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I can," she answered, tightness entering her voice. He couldn't blame her. The routines she did were phenomenal. She was clearly a gifted gymnast.

"Well come on then," Chloé said with a sickly sweet smile. "And try to keep up."

Tikki stood as Chloé walked away.

"Good luck," he said, making her turn for a moment.

"Save me seat," she replied.

The music started, and Tikki's posture changed into a more relaxed one. It was clear that she had attended their practices because as the cheerleaders started to move, she moved with them.

Her body moved so fluidly, shifting with her body so entirely that it became impossible to watching anything but her as she danced and tumbled her way around the center circle. Adrien propped his face up with his hand to watch her go.

He didn't know what sort of power struggle was going on between Tikki and the head cheerleader, but the tension was palpable. Suddenly, the captain moved out of center position though, forcing Tikki to the front of the triangle formation as the music came to an end.

Chloé broke her final pose to reach forward towards Tikki. As Adrien stood to voice a warning to the unsuspecting mascot, Chloé put her hands under the rim of the mask and lifted it, revealing - MARINETTE?!

The whole crowd went suddenly very quiet. Adrien barely had time to process his shock before Marinette, eyes rapidly blinking from the tears building up in them, turned heel and sprinted out of the gym.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the late update, and sorry that I suck and can't update faster. Working as we speak because I know that was a nasty cliffhanger. And thank you so much for sticking around! It's still pretty surreal for me that people actually want to read this so - thank you so much. If nothing else, by getting this far, you've made a super-green fanfic amateur completely over-the-moon by returning every week. I'll keep working hard for you guys - so keep on keeping on! :3**


	18. Eighteen: Only Plagg

**Chapter Eighteen: Only Plagg**

* * *

Marinette didn't know that tears could choke you until she had to stop in the darkened hallway away from the gymnasium, her chest heaving for air that her snot-filled nose and panicking, gasping mouth could not provide. It was like she was suffocating. Maybe she was drowning.

That stupid red suit, minus the Tikki head which still laid on the floor in the gymnasium, was suddenly too hot and too scratchy. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, clawing at the costume around her throat to no avail.

That moment that her mask was lifted off her head, her head was cool for a fraction of a second after it was released from its confinement. Suddenly her fuzzy vision was horribly clear, and she could see all of those faces looking at her. Her face had flooded with color, and her head boiled. That's when she turned and bolted - before any of them could even react.

If she was lying to herself, she was angry at Chloé. The girl was absolute sorry human being who seemed hell bent on taking every little thing from her. It seemed that she couldn't take Marinette having this one thing. Even a small victory like Tikki was too great. So she ruined it. She ruined this one good thing.

If she was being honest with herself, she was angry at… well, herself. She was angry that she hadn't owned up to who she was before the chance was taken from her. She knew herself. She had really thought about telling Plagg who she was, but now she couldn't. Now, for better or for worse, he knew. _Everyone_ knew.

She was scared. That's why she ran. She was scared of what people would say. When the magic of Tikki was gone, was everyone ready for it just to be Marinette underneath? It was made worse by the fact that the game was between her new school and her old school. There was no escape from those peers, teachers, and parents that she knew.

She let out a strangled scream as she pulled fruitlessly at the zipper in the back of the costume. Being upset was making her hands shake so much already, but her mounting frustration made the simple task suddenly so much worse and that much more impossible. She started whimpering, her knees going wobbly and threatening to fold underneath her. She was still suffocating or drowning, and her eyes squeezed shut as the walls kept closing in.

Suddenly, a steadying, fuzzy hand clamped down over the zipper and pulled it down. Scrambling, she rid herself of the prison so quickly she nearly tripped out of it, and again a hand caught her own and held her steady.

When she finally turned around just to face Plagg, she nearly burst into a new round of sobs, but he reached forward and took her in his arms, hugging her tight to his body. He was warm and solid, and she buried her face, messy though it was with snot and sweat and tears, right in his chest until the lack of oxygen finally made her tears slow. When the ringing in her ears subsided, she realized Plagg was talking to her.

"Breathe," he said. "Just.. in and out, okay?"

She nodded against him, her cheeks stinging and itchy from tear trails as she snuffled, slowly getting air through her blocked, overheated nose bit by bit until the light-headed sensation left and the walls around her retracted. Breath by shaky breath, the world righted itself once more and she was staring up to Plagg's mask.

She had the sudden thought to be embarrassed by how blotchy and red her face was sure to be, but she couldn't hold onto it. He was standing there ready to listen and comfort, and she was fairly certain she could have purple hair growing out of her ears and a snaggletooth the size of a school bus and he wouldn't care. All he cared about was that she was in pain, and he could help. He was just that type of person.

She thought at that moment that there was a distinct possibility she was in love with him.

"You… you were Marinette the whole time," he said finally. "You were M - why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anybody," she replied. "Don't feel too left out."

"I… of course, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I will be. I just can't be right now."

"Why did you run?" he asked as she pulled herself away from him.

She looked at him and away, swallowing hard. "I didn't need to see what they would do."

"Who? The cheerleaders?"

"No," she said, tucking a frizzy strand of hair around her ear. "The crowd."

"The… just the crowd?" he asked, confusion painted in his voice.

"I don't want to know what happens when suddenly I'm a pumpkin?"

"A pumpkin?"

"You know, like Cinderella," she sighed, lowering her gaze again.

"Cinderella didn't turn into a pumpkin," he pointed out. "She turned into who she really was beyond a bit of fairy dust."

She sighed. "I'm not arguing with you about this right now-"

"Listen to me," he said, interrupting her. "You never needed the fairy dust, okay? You are what made the fairy dust in the first place. When it all fell away, did you think they would laugh at you?"

"Yes," she said in a small voice.

"Marinette… they cheered. Can't - can't you hear them?"

"I… what?"

"Shh," he advised her. "Listen."

So she did. Faintly, she heard something. Something like… her name? "Ma-ri-nette, Ma-ri-nette, Ma-ri-nette." It was so distant, it was like a mosquito's whine.

"Why?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"I guess they're afraid they scared you off," he replied. "Don't you think it's time to rectify the situation?"

She stared at him. "Go back out there?"

"They love you," he said softly. "Maybe even more behind the mask."

"And you?"

"Me?"

She looked up at him, seizing the courage while she still had it. "Who are you behind there?"

He backed up a step. "I… nothing important."

"I like you," she said suddenly. "Even though that's the wrong word. It's like… I think… I maybe love you."

He went completely still.

Her heart thundered in her ears as she waited, sure he was about to laugh or walk away or-

"I've loved you since we were twelve years old," he said, causing her head to jerk up. "I've been in love with you as long as I knew how to be."

She didn't think it was possible for her heart to beat faster, but then it did. "So…?" she said hopefully. She lifted her hands hesitantly, going for the rim of his mask. "Who are you, really?"

He caught her hands, shaking her head. "I… I'm only Plagg."

"What are you talking about?" she said. "What about the fairy dust and pumpkins?"

"That's you," he answered. "I'm just… me."

"Don't you trust me to feel the same?"

"I…" he floundered for a moment before dropping her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm only Plagg."

WIth that, he turned and ran away.

"Wait!" she called, following him for a few steps before he disappeared from view.

She sighed, looking down as her heart sank. In the dark, her eyes focused on a bit of thread on the floor. Squinting, she knelt and picked it up, her eyes widening and heart going into overdrive once more as she recognized the red and green friendship bracelet.

* * *

 **A/N: One more chapter to go. Side note: I've been vacillating on whether or not to add an epilogue and figured it was only fair to ask you to weigh in as it's just as much your story as mine. Lemme know, 'kay?**


	19. Nineteen: The Climbing Tree

**Chapter Nineteen: The Climbing Tree**

* * *

Spring seemed to have finally arrived, if just for the day. It brought with it a warm, muggy afternoon. After evening came and he dew descended, a chill came to the air. It left everything damp outside damp, but the night was clear and quiet.

Adrien had gone in the back door. Having noticed his father's car in the driveway, he had no desire to explain his whereabouts. He changed out of his sweaty clothes into a new shirt and shorts. Before he headed out the door, he grabbed an old gymnastics sweatshirt.

It was no trouble climbing the familiar branches and notches, slick as they were. His bare feet and hands scrabbled up to his and Mari's perch. It was well concealed by the foliage in summer, but the early spring buds would suffice to cause someone to pass right by without seeming him.

Up there, he finally let his mind unravel. He had kept it together, sprinting from the gym, after dumping his costume, the whole way home. With his lungs screaming and muscles straining, there was hardly time to think. In evading his father's lectures, there was hardly time to think. He could even find reprieve in the familiar strain of climbing the tree from thinking.

Suddenly, it all came rushing in, and he was dizzy - dizzy with the idea that Marinette was in love with Plagg. Right there in that moment, she was ready to know who he was, and he balked. He ran instead of facing her.

He was a coward. That was the answer. He was so afraid of her rejection that when it really came down to the moment when he could tell her, he decided 'what if' would be better than flat out rejection.

His hand went to his wrist where he was alarmed to discover his friendship bracelet was gone. Great. So on top of everything else, he lost a symbol that had spanned through the years of their relationship. Sighing, he knocked his head against the trunk of the tree. The night really couldn't get any clumsier or worse, could it?

"Hey," a small voice said from below.

He had to think it, didn't he? Mari stood there in her shorts and t-shirt, clutching her arms to her body as she stared up at him, the moonlight making her blue eyes radiant.

"Is there room for one more up there?"

Numbly he nodded, scooting over on the branch and waiting as she easily swung up to the perch and settled down next to him. They weren't so small as they once were. Now sitting on the branch meant hips touching with nowhere to put their arms and suddenly their faces so tantalizingly close that his face reddened. She shivered as a wind went through the tree.

He chuffed a bit in disbelieving laughter as he shimmied out of his sweatshirt. "Idiot," he chastised her. "Coming here without a sweatshirt?"

"I came straight here from the game," she explained, accepting his sweatshirt and pulling it over her head. It swallowed her up, but she hugged it to her body as iff to squeeze the warmth out of it.

"The game?"

She smiled simply at that. "I was… I am - the Ladybug mascot. I am Tikki. That's a fact Chloé made clear to everyone there. Don't-" she said as he opened his mouth. "Don't act surprised. I know you were there."

Adrien stiffened. She reached out and grabbed his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers so she could place some familiar bits of braided broken thread in his palm before she closed his hand gently.

"You were there just like you've always been there," she added softly.

His hand trembled. When had he lost the bracelet? It couldn't have been that-

"Why in the world would you ever say you were only Plagg?"

His heart plummeted down into his stomach at her words. She plainly knew who he was, and he knew who she was. Maybe in his wilder dreams he had imagined that this would happen, but now that it had, he couldn't help but be terrified.

"You are so much dearer than only Plagg. You have to know that."

He looked a her.

"You… love me?" she said quietly, her face flushing up.

There was surely no way to deny it now, so he nodded.

"Since we were twelve-years-old, really?"

He let out a puff of air through his nose, shaking his head. "Why is that the part you find hard to believe?"

She shook her head in return. "How could I have been that blind for that long?"

At this, Adrien cracked a smile, looking at her. "You have always had such a narrow scope of focus. It's the reason you've been such a fearsome competitor over the years."

"You're saying I didn't notice because I've always been focused on something else?" she asked, fixing her keen blue eyes on his green ones.

He shrugged as he said, "Why would you notice me when you were off conquering the world?"

She shook her head. "Holy jack-in-the-box, I'm an idiot."

"No, you're-" he started, but he was cut off as she lurched forward and pressed her lips to his own.

Suddenly the damp and the cold and the night came into sharp focus, and there they were. He drew her in closer, putting his hand behind her head even as she reached up to place her hands on either side of his face. When they each broke away, seemingly at the last second, they were nearly panting. Mari's face had gone strawberry red.

"You were always there for me when I was off conquering the world," she said finally. "I don't know why it took me so long to realize you were perfect for me."

At this, his goofy smile fell a bit. "Mari, you fell in love with Plagg, not me."

"And who do you suppose Plagg was?" she asked softly. "Who do you suppose I defended against Chloé? Who did I end up spending the night of my first date with instead of my own date?"

"Mari-"

She grabbed his hand. "Do you not like me?"

"What are you saying? Of course I do," he scoffed, grabbing onto her hand tightly.

"So why are you doubting my feelings?"

"I…" he stammered. After a moment of spluttering, he shook his head. "I'm not. I guess I just… I can't believe this is happening?"

"Are you… are you angry at me from keeping this from you?"

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "How could I be angry at you for keeping the selfsame secret I was keeping from you?"

"Well then maybe…" she said, a smile growing on her face as she tilted her head. "You're mad that I stole your first kiss."

He laughed. "I'm only mad that I didn't think of kissing you first."

"Aren't you a bit old to be a sore loser?" she asked him softly.

"I love you," he answered.

Her Cheshire smile grew. "I love you, too," she said.

The words lifted his heart in his chest again and set it beating like it might break out of his chest. He wondered if he would ever get tired of hearing those words from her. He quickly abandoned the notion as he found the idea of kissing her again to be altogether more appealing.

When the broke away after awhile, Adrien put his forehead against hers to steady his dizziness again. "What now, Marinette?" he asked after a spell.

"Now?"

"What will you do now? You have mascotting, according to Alya's snooping a new gymnastics team, a healthy chance at the national team, and a very charming boyfriend," he said with a grin. It faltered a little as a wrinkle formed between his eyes. "That is… I mean, if you want to… will you? I mean, you said that… will you be my girlfriend then or is that too soon? Or-?" he stumbled.

She laughed, stopping his babbling by pressing her fingers over his mouth. "Of course I will be your girlfriend. And as for now, hmm," she said, her eyes shifting down for a moment. She met his gaze again with such a smile it left him dazzled. "I guess we'll just have to do something unbelievable again, won't we?"

* * *

 **A/N: Well there it is, and I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not crying. But if I am than it's just because it's been one of the best summers ever being able to write for y'all, and you've made it so worth it. I had so much fun writing this story, and I'm so glad you could join me every step of the way. Anyway, ask and you shall receive. I'm working on the epilogue even as I write this and hope to have it posted by Friday. If I don't, expect it early next week. And thank you!**


	20. Epilogue: One Year Later

**Epilogue: One Year Later**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey all, I appreciate your patience! I am a full-time university student, and sometimes unexpected things (like a crap ton of homework and studying) happen where I need to focus on my 'job' as much as I'd rather be doing this. I almost published this guy three times, but I kept being finicky and going back because, let's face it: this is it. Eek! So scary! But thank you again for reading, and please come back any time! I may need to take some time to get back into the swing of school, but I have at least three more Miraculous AU's in the works so come back to check in any time. But for now, I will shut my yap, the road rise to meet you, and please enjoy this last (extra) installment of Miraculous Mascots.**

* * *

Marinette tapped her foot to the beat of a song only she could hear, playing in her head. It was early enough that the sun had hardly peeked above the horizon, but the hour left a good ninety minutes before school to practice gymnastics with Fu. This was a good morning for it, too.

That morning, she woke up to an email from the officials for the National Gymnastics Team. Her physical had gone well so she was officially a part of the team. They'd give her a by for the first months of training while she finished high school, but then it would be train, train, train for international competition. If that went well, she could even go to the Olympics. It was really happening.

She bounced around a little bit, more from excitement than the cold that was leaving her breath visible in little puffs. With a little over three weeks to Christmas, temperatures had been dropping quickly. School was abuzz with final exams and students anxious for break to begin. Marinette zipped her fleece up a little further. She pulled her necklace out to rest over the coat, turning the little ladybug over in her fingers by force of habit. It was a six month anniversary gift.

Like rubbing a lamp and a genie emerging, the door to the house she was waiting in front of suddenly popped open, and a very flustered Adrien slid out, slamming the door behind him and practically skating over to her while buttoning his coat, wrapping his neck up in the scarf she made him for his birthday, and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Sorry!" he called. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he repeated, fishing his gloves out of his pockets and sliding them on his hands as he reached her before he smiled. "Good morning," he added, leaning down to kiss her.

She could still taste the mint toothpaste on him. As ever, the contact of his lips sent a shiver right through her body that had nothing to do with the cold. When her eyelids fluttered opened again, she smiled.

"You forgot your earmuffs," she pointed out.

"I'll live," he answered, grabbing her mittened hand and pulling her in to walk beside him on the icy sidewalk. "If I don't get you to morning practice, Fu will have my head."

Marinette laughed. "What are you talking about? If I don't get you there, he'll have my head!"

"Well then, we'd better both get there quick, or I'll have to start calling you Mari Antoinette," he said.

She groaned. "Save the puns for your Plagg suit, please, you dork."

"Speaking of, are you ready to go down tonight at halftime?"

"What are you talking about?" she answered, playfully hitting him on the shoulder. "I'll always sweep the court with you."

He laughed. "Bring it on, Tikki. Loser is buying dinner tonight."

"Lennie's?"

"Concessions," he answered, referring to their habit of eating concession stand food under the bleachers as a special date. Hey, it wasn't the best of food, but it was special time alone for them.

"Any special occasion?" she asked, thinking through to remember if the date was important while she swung their hands between them.

"It's a surprise," he answered. "As long as I can wait that long."

"You're on," she answered. "I'm always down for winning a free meal."

He laughed into the morning quiet as they continued down the street.

* * *

"This really is a good biography," Juleka said in her whispery voice as she put it back on the shelf.

"Isn't it?" Mari asked through a mouthful of applesauce.

"Marinette, that's like totally bad table manners," Nino pointed out from where he sat beside her.

"So is texting," she pointed out as he sent yet another message. "Tell Alya 'hi' from me."

"Text her yourself," he replied. "Lunch is the only time during the school day that we get to talk!"

Marinette met Juleka's eyes, and they rolled them simultaneously. In the nearly year since Nino and Alya had gotten together, they had managed to be the mushiest of couples around, but a fantastic double date for Adrien and Mari.

"So team captain, what's the plan for tonight? A little defense, a little offense?" Marinette teased. "Or do you not care anymore now that you have a full ride to the best university in the state?"

"You what?" Juleka breathed, her eyes lighting up.

"Sheesh, Marinette," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't even know if I'll accept yet."

"Oh, a great team and the fact that one Alya Cesaire got in last week are good indicators," Marinette giggled.

He screwed his face up in mock annoyance. "Hey, you leave the business of the court to me and keep the troops entertained."

"What am I now, the USO?"

"Of course not, you're our miraculous Ladybug."

* * *

The world was muffled when Marinette entered the gym, but that didn't stop her from hearing the cheers intensify at the sight of a friendly red bug. That night was just an exhibition match against Françoise Dupont, but that didn't stop droves of people from showing up for the match. Among them, Marinette located Juleka with a red foam finger, jamming out with Rose, a girl from their math class who became a quick friend.

She let her eyes scan the court as she sat down to stretch, easily locating Nino among the boys warming up and giving him a wave. As she looked back, she caught Chloé's eye. The girl was still head cheerleader (unfortunately), but Marinette had made her peace. The aftermath of revealing Marinette's identity resulted in so many more friendly faces at their school. Mari's popularity rose as a result. In a way, she could almost thank Chloé Bourgeois for what happened that day. The blond pulled an ugly sneer as she noticed the mascot looking her way. Yeah, almost.

As Chloé turned around, Marinette stifled a laugh when she saw Kim standing there. Ever since the playoff game last year, he'd been pining after the girl to no avail. She turned her attention back to her stretches only to have a shadow loom over her.

"Have I ever told you that you're hot in a mascot costume?" Plagg said, helping her up.

"A different hot maybe, this thing will always be stifling," she replied, her heartbeat quickening at his contact even through the fur.

"Milady, you are ravishing," he said, clasping her hand tighter and bending at the waist to kiss her hand, much to the crowd's amusement.

Curiously enough, through all of this, nobody knew that Plagg and Tikki were dating, only Adrien and Marinette. That didn't stop Adrien from doing ridiculous things like this with his girlfriend when they were on the court together.

"Shoo, you," she chided him as he stood. "We have a game to get ready for."

"Just remember, loser is buying dinner," he said, giving her head a final squeeze before heading to the other side of the court.

As he walked away, she heard the familiar snapping sounds of a phone camera and turned to find Alya snapping pictures. "Ooh, these are going to be just perfect for my blog!" she practically cheered. "Doing okay in there, Marinette?"

"Fantastic," she responded, giving her friend a quick hug.

"Are you really sure you don't want me to dig up Plagg's identity? You gave up so soon."

"Yeah, well, let's just say I'm content to let that case run cold," she replied, her eyes finding her boyfriend across the court warming up his crowd.

Alya's brow wrinkled. "As your friend, I'm happy you found Adrien. As an investigative journalist though, girl are you crazy? I bet people are dying to find out who Plagg is! And you're friends! We could launch an investigation, and-"

"No, Alya," Marinette answered with a laugh. "Let's put this one to bed. Besides, don't you have a much more interesting scoop over there?" she asked, pointing to where Nino had stopped to wave at Alya. When he had her attention, he winked at her.

She blew a kiss to him, sighing. "Don't his new glasses make him look so handsome?"

"He has new glasses?" Marinette replied, bemused. "They look the same."

"Well, they're the same shape, but a slightly different shade. It makes all the difference, don't you think?" she asked.

"If you say so," Marinette laughed in reply.

"Tikki, I need you out there!" Ms. Bustier said, walking up to the girls. "Five minutes to game time!"

"That's my cue. Lennie's this weekend?" Marinette asked.

"You're so on," Alya replied, walking off, snapping pictures the whole way.

Marinette looked across the gym to Adrien, and she could almost feel him smiling beneath his mask. He tilted his head to the side, almost like he was daring her to take the court first. Positively beaming, she bound forward.

* * *

"Ladybugs surge ahead - 67 to 64," the announcer said, met by the cheers of the crowd.

Marinette was hardly paying attention. Third period was the time she spent with Adrien under the bleachers, masks off. It was the time that they were civilians again, for a brief moment. Though he had teased about beating her, he was the one who showed up with food when they met which she gratefully wolfed down.

He ate much more slowly, leaning back against the stair step imprint of the bleachers over them. She sat beside him, leaning her head against his furry shoulder and fighting how heavy her eyes were getting with each passing moment.

"Hey, Mari?" he said finally.

"Mhmm?" she responded, taking a deep breath as though the expansion of her lungs could keep her from dozing.

"I love you," he said.

She lifted her head, smiling at him. "I love you, too," she replied.

It was then that she finally noticed that he was wringing his hands and a crinkle had appeared between his eyebrows.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Um… yeah," he said at length. "I got my physical results back from National today."

Her heart beat a little faster. Adrien had been injured last season. It wasn't anything major, and with rehab he was able to compete the last weeks of the previous season, enough to qualify for the National team. However, the coaching staff had voiced some doubts about his physical ability to compete and put him on hold until their staff could check him out.

"And?" she pressed.

He nodded rapidly, a pressed smile expanding into a huge one. "Yeah, I'm in. I'm definitely in!"

"For real?" she squealed, throwing her hands around him. "We're going together?"

"We're… you heard?"

"Well, yeah, but it was just a formality," she said, kissing him before he could get another word in.

"Still," he said pulling away and positively beaming. "Mari, you know what this means?"

"Olympics here we come?" she guessed.

He shook his head, laughing as he rested back against the bleachers. "You really don't stop dreaming, do you?"

"I can't help it," she said, her face screwing up in mock sternness.

"Well, you're living up to your promise."

"What promise?"

"You definitely did something unbelievable today."

"We did something unbelievable," she corrected him, grabbing his hand to complete their familiar gesture.

He pulled her in for a kiss instead, which she broke away from to climb to her feet, laughing. She reached down and pulled him up, dragging him behind her as she declared. "Now come on! We have a whole lot of tomorrows to take care of!"

"If I ever survive life with you, it'll be a miracle," he teased her.

Thinking back to Nino's comment, she turned back to him with a dazzling smile. "Well then, I guess you'd better call me 'miraculous'!"


End file.
